Minnesota Authorities Claim FBI Hindered Their Probe into ICE Shooting

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Tensions between Minnesota and federal officials have deepened over a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer’s fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis.

State and federal officials have offered starkly different accounts of the shooting, in which an ICE agent shot US citizen Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, in a residential neighbourhood.

A recent incident has ignited a wave of condemnation from local leaders and sparked protests that resonate far beyond the borders of the state. The uproar is a testament to the community’s demand for transparency and justice.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said on Thursday it had initially agreed with the FBI to conduct a joint investigation into the shooting, but that the federal agency had “reversed course” and taken sole control of the probe.

The decision, according to the BCA’s superintendent, Drew Evans, means the state bureau will no longer have access to the scene evidence, case materials or interviews.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has found itself stepping back from the investigation amidst the controversy. “As a result, the BCA has reluctantly withdrawn from the investigation,” stated a spokesperson, Evans, emphasizing the agency’s unease with the current proceedings.

A person in police uniform sprays an orange liquid onto a person, who is wearing a helmet and bracing. The person is standing among a group in a line facing the officer.

Protesters have gathered not only at the scene of the shooting in Minneapolis but also in various locations across the city, voicing their outrage and calling for accountability. This public outcry reflects the deep-seated frustration and the urgent call for change within the community.

Expressing concerns over the federal involvement, Keith Ellison, Minnesota’s Democratic attorney general, described the FBI’s decision as “deeply disturbing.” He assured that state authorities possess the capability to carry out the investigation independently, with or without federal assistance.

Agents with FBI uniforms and other law enforcement gather near a crashed vehicle in a snowy area surrounded by police tape.

Adding to the chorus of criticism, Democratic Governor Tim Walz addressed the media, cautioning that any federal inquiry conducted without state participation risks being perceived as a “whitewash.” His comments underscore the importance of collaboration and transparency in ensuring a credible investigation.

“And I say that only because people in positions of power … from the president to the vice president to Kristi Noem have already passed judgement and told you things that are verifiably false,” he said.

The FBI declined to comment on the BCA statement.

The ICE agent who shot Good was among 2,000 federal officers that President Donald Trump’s administration had announced it was deploying to the Minneapolis area in what the Department of Homeland Security described as the “largest DHS operation ever.”

DHS officials, including Noem, defended the shooting as self-defense and accused the woman of trying to ram agents in an act of “domestic terrorism”.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, called that assertion “bulls–t” and “garbage” based on bystander videos taken of the incident that appeared to contradict the government’s account.

Both Frey and Walz have called on Trump, a Republican, to withdraw federal agents from the city, saying their presence is sowing chaos in the streets.

But the New York Times reported that the administration was deploying more than 100 additional Customs and Border Patrol personnel from other cities in the wake of the shooting.