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Stephen A. Smith says Minnesota ICE agent was 'completely justified' legally after fatal shooting of woman
Stephen A. Smith has weighed in on the deadly shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, calling the action "completely justified" from a legal perspective.
Good, 37, was shot three times in the face during a standoff with agents, which ended when she drove her SUV away from officers.
In a 25-minute video posted to his YouTube channel, the ESPN analyst said: "I saw the video on numerous occasions and seeing what transpired from a lawful perspective, as it pertains to a law enforcement official, don't expect him to be prosecuted. He was completely justified."
However, Smith also criticized the agent's choice to shoot her directly rather than disable the vehicle. "From a humanitarian perspective, however, why did you have to do that? If you could move out the way, that means you could have shot the tyres," he said. "Rather than get out the car, she wrongfully tried to drive off. And wrongfully disregarded a law enforcement official... and as a result, lost her life because of it."
ICE and federal response back the officer's actions
ICE claimed Good intentionally drove her SUV at officers, although that was challenged by witnesses and dismissed as "bulls**t" by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
A video showed one officer attempting to open the door before the car surged forward. Another agent then fired through the windshield after reportedly being struck.
At a press conference, Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem defended the shooting, per The Mirror US: "Any loss of life is a tragedy, and I think we can all agree it was preventable. Our officer followed his training and did exactly what he's been taught to do in that situation."
She said the agent was hit by the SUV and briefly hospitalized. “He is an experienced officer,” Noem added, “and he certainly went out and used his training today.”
Smith says it didn't have to end this way
While maintaining the legality of the action, Smith was adamant that alternative methods should have been used. "She was in the car, protesting, blocking off the street... and she tried to take off," he said. "And in their eyes... they consider it an act of domestic terrorism because she tried to run over an ICE officer."
"But it wasn't necessary. You could have arrested her, you could have spared the woman's life. You didn't have to kill her," he added. "So even though the law, from a literal perspective, might be on his side, the reality is your humanity comes into question because you didn't have to kill her."
Good died at the scene after crashing into two parked cars. Smith concluded, “We're living in a country now where some people more often than not are becoming lawless... but they are also taking lives. At least in this case that was the case. I believe it was totally unnecessary.”