A former ICE and Secret Service agent, Timothy Miller, told Fox News Digital that the officer involved in the Minneapolis shooting acted according to training when a vehicle reportedly accelerated toward him. The driver, identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, died after an agent fired into the vehicle. The incident has provoked political backlash from figures including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Gov. Tim Walz, and has led to protests. Miller cited the Supreme Court's Graham v. Connor standard on split-second use-of-force decisions.
Former Agent Says Minneapolis ICE Officer 'Followed Training' After Vehicle Advanced Toward Him
A former Secret Service and ICE agent explains why the officer had only seconds to act as a vehicle accelerated toward him in Minneapolis.
MINNEAPOLIS — A former ICE and Secret Service agent described the split-second decisions an immigration officer faced during Wednesday's fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis.
Timothy Miller, who also served as a police officer, told Fox News Digital that agents are trained to respond to deadly-force situations "based on the facts" and to employ "appropriate deadly force" when necessary.
"Think about an agent standing literally within a foot of the front bumper of a car, center of the front bumper, and now the car accelerates," Miller said. "That vehicle is even more deadly than a gun. You can survive a gunshot. If a car runs over you, it's not going to go well."
"Everyone else has months to evaluate what an officer must decide in split seconds," he added.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the woman who was killed, later identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, as a "domestic terrorist," saying Good "proceeded to weaponize her vehicle" after blocking ICE agents in the road.
Mayor Jacob Frey told ICE to "get the f--- out of Minneapolis."
Video of the incident shows an agent approaching the driver's door and ordering the woman to exit the vehicle. According to statements from DHS and Noem, Good then attempted to drive toward an officer before the agent fired multiple shots into the vehicle, killing her.
The footage has ignited sharp political reaction. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told ICE to "get the f--- out of Minneapolis," saying, "We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety, and you are doing exactly the opposite. People are being hurt, families are being ripped apart."
Gov. Tim Walz also criticized the official narrative on X, writing, "I've seen the video" and warning readers, "don't believe this propaganda machine," in response to a DHS post about the encounter.
Protesters rally on Portland Street in Minneapolis after federal agents fatally shot a woman on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026.
Miller emphasized that the officer had only "split seconds to decide whether maybe he's going to live or die," and that he followed his training when confronted by a vehicle that posed a potential deadly threat.
The former Secret Service agent also cited the Supreme Court's 1989 ruling in Graham v. Connor, which ties the standard for evaluating excessive force to the Fourth Amendment's requirement of "objective reasonableness." That precedent instructs that officers' actions should be judged based on what was reasonable at the moment, not by hindsight.
The shooting has prompted protests in Minneapolis and demonstrations in other U.S. cities, intensifying debate about law enforcement tactics, immigration enforcement and how use-of-force incidents are assessed.
"The rhetoric against police officers — it's not just ICE, it's all police officers across the country — is escalating. The public's being told lies, as you saw come out of the press conference, that, 'Oh, I saw the video, there was absolutely no threat,'" Miller said.
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