A day after a federal immigration officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, the city’s police chief described the incident as “entirely predictable.”
Louisville Metro Police Chief Paul Humphrey echoed that assessment on Jan. 8, agreeing with Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara and saying it was “obvious this was a predictable outcome.”
“When it comes to the tactics, that remains to be determined, but there is a reason we have policies that say, ‘don’t put yourself in a bad position,’” Humphrey said during an unrelated news conference. “That’s why we have policies surrounding shooting at people inside of vehicles. It seems like it was something that, based on tactics, could have been easily preventable.”
Authorities identified the woman who was killed as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good. Video of the shooting circulating on social media shows two federal agents attempting to get a woman to exit a vehicle that was partially blocking a street.
The driver reverses as one agent tries to open the driver’s side door, then pulls forward. A third agent, standing in front of the vehicle, draws his gun and fires a shot, then continues firing as the car passes him.
A frame-by-frame analysis conducted by The Washington Post found that the vehicle moved toward the ICE agent, but that he was able to step out of the way and fired at least two of the three shots as the vehicle moved past him.
The shooting sparked intense public debate. President Trump said on social media that the agents acted in self-defense, while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called statements from federal officials “bullshit.”
Shooting at or from moving vehicles is addressed in multiple sections of the Louisville Metro Police Department’s standard operating procedures.
Under LMPD’s current pursuit policy, officers are prohibited from firing at or from moving vehicles except in response to gunfire, the threat of gunfire, or in rare cases where a vehicle is intentionally being used as a weapon against officers or others.
Officers are not allowed to fire simply because a suspect is attempting to flee and are required to avoid tactics that unreasonably place them in a position where a vehicle could be used as a weapon.
LMPD’s use-of-force policy mirrors those restrictions, stating that officers will not fire upon or from moving vehicles unless deadly force is being used against the officer or another person.
“The use of a vehicle by a civilian will not be considered deadly force unless there is gunfire or it is reasonable to believe the vehicle is intentionally being used to strike a person, a crowd, another occupied vehicle, or a building or structure when capable of causing mass injuries, serious physical injuries, or death,” the policy states.
In response to the shooting, Minneapolis residents protested in the city on Jan. 7 and 8, condemning Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Humphrey referenced those demonstrations while expressing sympathy for Minneapolis police, calling the incident a tragedy.
“They have been through a lot,” he said. “I know they’re canceling all their off days, they’re dealing with protests, and I hope those protests remain lawful and peaceful, with people expressing their First Amendment rights the way they should. Keep them in our prayers. We’re fortunate to have a community that doesn’t have that going on here.”
Humphrey reiterated that the situation appeared preventable based on established tactics and policies, while emphasizing the toll the incident has taken on both the community and the police department involved.
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