Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez Statement on the Shooting of Renee Good

“The loss of Renee Good is tragic, and I mourn the preventable death of anyone — but these circumstances are terrible, plain and simple. I think we can all relate to the instinct to panic in stressful situations, and it’s our task to collectively dial back the breakneck increase in temperature. In my conversations with local Southwest Washington law enforcement about the events in Minnesota, they have been very clear that standard policy directs officers not to stand in front of moving vehicles, because it endangers officers and triggers a legal scenario known as induced jeopardy. While the angle of camera footage significantly impacts the perspective on what exactly occurred, in all the footage I’ve seen this was a preventable tragedy.  

“ICE provides a legitimate, necessary service to our country, but the deployment of agents across our country, along with the posture and bravado of this Administration, is eroding public confidence in the agency’s legitimacy. It is also threatening the legitimate use case of tools my local law enforcement relies on to ensure the safety of our communities. For example, some crime victims would be further endangered if my sheriffs were prevented from using unmarked vehicles when soliciting statements. 

“We can’t be shepherded into a false choice between freedom and security. It is more urgent than ever for my colleagues, the vast majority of whom are good, sensible people, to turn down the temperature and come together to push for a full bipartisan investigation into the events that led to Renee Good’s death. Transparency is the best medicine for the cynicism that so many are feeling towards our politics. Americans deserve leaders that don’t make decisions based on motivated reasoning, and they need to know that the work of enforcing immigration law will not come at the expense of our citizens’ security.”