DHS officer seen trampling and kicking candles left at memorial to Renee Nicole Good after ICE shooting
The fallout from the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good has taken a volatile new turn. Already reeling from the death of the mother of three at the hands of federal agents, the public is now reacting to viral footage showing a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officer kicking and trampling candles at a makeshift memorial dedicated to her memory. The incident occurred just days after the January 7 shooting, which saw an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fire three rounds into Good’s SUV. The shots proved fatal; Good was pronounced dead at the scene after her vehicle collided with another car. Since that moment, Minneapolis has become a focal point of national outrage, with the narrative of “self-defense” clashing violently against accusations of state-sanctioned murder.
A Conflict of Narratives
The official stance from federal authorities remains unyielding. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin defended the agent’s actions as a split-second necessity. “An ICE officer fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow officers and the lives of the public, fired defensive shots, used his training and saved his own life,” McLaughlin stated, adding that the agents involved are expected to recover from their injuries.
Within the corridors of the Trump administration, the rhetoric has been even more severe, with some officials branding Good a “domestic terrorist.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, however, has emerged as a vocal critic of the federal account. After reviewing footage of the shooting, Frey did not mince words: “They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense. Having seen the video for myself, I want to tell everybody directly, that is bulls***. This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody getting killed.”
The Memorial Confrontation
While the city of Minneapolis remains a landscape of protests, a memorial was established to honor the woman her mother, Donna Ganger, described to The Minnesota Star Tribune as “one of the kindest people I’ve ever known.” Ganger painted a picture of a compassionate, affectionate human being who spent her life taking care of others.
The sanctity of that memorial was challenged in a video originally posted to Bluesky and later amplified on X. The footage depicts an officer wearing a “Police DHS” patch walking through the site, where Good’s name was written in chalk and surrounded by candles.
In the recording, the officer is seen knocking over and kicking the memorial candles. When confronted by a protester who shouted, “Really, you f****** punk? That’s what you’re gonna f****** do?” the situation escalated.
“Do you know what the f*** that is for?” the protester asked as the agent repeatedly pushed him back, ordering him to retreat. When the protester pressed further, asking, “What was that for?” the officer replied, “I don’t give a f***.”
“You don’t give a f*** about her?” the protester asked. “This is why we’re here.”
Digital Outrage and the Erosion of Decency
The video has since become a lightning rod for criticism across the political spectrum, with users highlighting a perceived collapse of basic human decency.
“Stomping on a memorial isn’t ok. Regardless of politics,” one commenter noted. Another emphasized that the issue transcended partisanship: “Respect for a mother, not politics—basic human decency.”
Others viewed the officer’s behavior as a symbol of the current national climate. “No justification for that. This is America right now,” one user wrote, while another pointed out the literal hazard of the act: “This is disgusting behavior to kick a memorial candle and also not very fire-safe.”
As the investigation into the shooting continues and the civil unrest in Minneapolis shows no signs of waning, the image of an officer trampling a memorial has become, for many, a visceral symbol of the deepening divide between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
