Thoughts on the Killing of Renee Good

First of all, I am definitely in the camp that Renee Good was trying to get out of the situation rather than trying to strike the ICE officer with her SUV. You don't go from "Hey, I'm not mad at you" to a "Domestic Terrorist" in a matter of seconds.

Next, I'm a retired volunteer firefighter. After thirty-three years as a First Responder, I've had decades of experience working with police and sheriffs. Over those decades of car crashes, cardiac arrests, and shootings, I've seen law enforcement work hard, be compassionate, and deal with people on the worst days of their lives. I am of the school that we shouldn't criticize the police until we've ridden with an officer for a shift or two and see what they deal with.

But here are a couple of annoying things about the reporting of this tragedy: First of all, we are told we shouldn't second-guess the ICE officer who fired three shots into Rennae's car. If you're a first responder, being second-guessed is part of the program. After a call, especially with a bad outcome, that's all we do: Did we follow our protocols? (Standing in front of a running vehicle is decidedly against protocol.) Did we do everything we could to save a life? (Not allowing a doctor on the scene to help is shocking.) What can we learn so that we'll do better the next time? Next, we are supposed to remember that the ICE officer had to make a decision in a split second. I respect that, but we are not talking about a civilian making a split-second decision; we're talking about a ten-year veteran. He had the option of stepping out of the way. First responders are held to a higher standard. They train for these moments.

I also think the response to the incident went downhill as soon as the two ICE officers got out of their vehicle and approached Ms Good's car. They did a terrible job of de-escalating. At first, it was just a car blocking part of a one-way street. A traffic offense. Instead of simply talking to Ms Good and asking her to move, or asking her what's going on, the ICE officer grabbed the door and tried to yank it open. (This is after she said, "I'm not mad at you.) He and his partner escalated the scene. Pretty scary to have armed officers grab your door and try to force you out of the car. When we are scared, we often make bad decisions, but that shouldn't end up in someone being killed.

To the ICE officers: if you can't control your adrenaline in what was initially a pretty simple situation, you shouldn't be in the job.

Next, an ICU nurse once told me that the most important part of dealing with stressful situations was not take it personally. "While everyone else is losing their heads, you need to stay calm." That doesn't seem to be ICE's mantra.

Finally, I grew up in Minnesota. We visit there all the time to see our grandkids. It is a wonderful (if cold) state. That it is being flooded with ICE agents and demonized by the President is a sign that we are going down the wrong road as a country. We as citizens have a legacy (since 1776) of standing up to tyrants. It is time again. RESIST.