TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Protesters gathered at the intersection of Ina and La Cholla Thursday afternoon to demonstrate against the death of Renee Nicole Good, joining nationwide protests following the shooting in Minneapolis.
Protesters say the Trump administration has crossed a line with its enforcement actions.
"I do not think that people who are simply exercising their First Amendment rights should be killed," said Judy, a protester at the demonstration.
About 70 people assembled on all four corners of the Northside intersection, with some protesters saying they previously lived in Minneapolis, making Good's death particularly personal for them.
"I don't believe ICE should be there," said Mikki Sullivan, who was protesting ICE operations.
Sullivan, a former nurse, said Good should have received immediate medical care following the incident.
"It's our duty as nurses and care providers, as providers in the medical field, to render aid," Sullivan said.
The shooting, she said, carried additional weight because George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis in 2020, in a neighborhood where Sullivan previously lived.
"The impact is going to be incredible because of the impact of George Floyd nationally, and the fact that it happened there. Minneapolis is a very tight knit community," Sullivan said.
However, Dave Smith, first vice chair of the Legislative District 17 Republicans and a retired law enforcement officer and trainer, offered a different perspective on the incident.
"This is a federal crime," Smith said.
Smith defended the officers' actions, citing their right to self-defense.
"A vehicle is deadly force when it's used as an assaultive device. You have the right as a law enforcement officer to defend yourself," Smith said.
Smith encouraged people to comply with law enforcement commands to avoid escalating situations.
"If you resist, you're increasing your criminality, but you're also increasing your liability physically as well as the liability to the officers," Smith said.
He described the difficult position law enforcement officers faced in such situations.
"Hesitate and you may be dead. Act and you're wrong, and you may be prosecuted. This is the kind of thing every law enforcement officer will tell you. This is the kind of ambiguity we face," Smith said.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
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Andrew Christiansen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before joining the team, Andrew reported in Corpus Christi, Texas for KRIS6 News, Action 10 News and guest reported in Spanish for Telemundo Corpus Christi. Share your story ideas with Andrew by emailing andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
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