Renee Good, an American citizen and mother of three, was shot and killed by an officer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a residential neighborhood of Minneapolis. The events that followed, and particularly the reaction of a public figure who proclaims himself Catholic, Vice President JD Vance, demand serious reflection in light of the immutable Catholic doctrine on the dignity of human life and justice.
The full circumstances of this situation remain under investigation, but widely available video evidence reveals the horrific moments preceding, accompanying, and following the shots fired at Mrs. Good's car. These videos show Mrs. Good's car accelerating after the shots, crashing into another vehicle and a pole. A doctor, present at the scene, was heard offering his help, but it was vehemently refused by an unidentified ICE agent, who stated: "I don't care."
The administration in place was quick to condemn Mrs. Good. In the hours following the event, and even before a formal investigation could be launched, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, labeled Mrs. Good's actions as an "act of domestic terrorism." President Donald Trump, on January 7th, described her as "disorderly, obstructive, and resistant, who then violently, deliberately, and viciously ran over the ICE officer." Mr. Trump added that the ICE officer was lucky to be alive and "is now recovering in the hospital."
Yet, there is no evidence that Good was involved in any way in domestic terrorism. The video evidence seems to entirely contradict President Trump's explanation. The ICE officer does not appear to have been injured and is seen walking casually after the shooting. There even appears to be emerging video evidence that Mrs. Good was confused by the orders she was receiving from several officers and was attempting to withdraw from the situation. There appears to be no concrete evidence of agitation, and the videos do not show Mrs. Good attempting to run anyone over with her car. The Associated Press reported on January 8th that it was "uncertain from the videos if the vehicle made contact with the officer."
Faced with this tragic incident and the reported facts, Vice President JD Vance, who declares himself Catholic, chose to use social media to justify the shooting and place blame on Mrs. Good. He stated that the situation was "simple," adding: "Correct. You can accept that this woman's death is a tragedy while recognizing that it is a tragedy of her own making. Do not illegally interfere with federal law enforcement operations and do not try to run over our officers with your car. It really is that simple." Later, he even claimed that "other angles of the video show the woman clearly hitting the officer with her car while accelerating," an assertion that contradicts factual reports and the uncertainty highlighted by the Associated Press.
Mr. Vance also expressed his solidarity with ICE, stating: "I want every ICE officer to know that their president, vice president, and the entire administration supports them. To the radicals who assault them, dox them, and threaten them: congratulations, we are going to work even harder to enforce the law." It is noteworthy that at no point did Mr. Vance express remorse, prayers, or condolences concerning Mrs. Good and her loved ones. Instead, he continued to use "divisive and tribalistic language to demonize Democrats."
The comments of Mr. Vance, justifying the death of Renee Good, constitute a moral stain on the collective witness of our Catholic faith. His repeated attempts to blame Mrs. Good for her own death are fundamentally incompatible with the eternal Gospel and right reason. The Catholic faith is not a political accessory, but a moral guide for action and judgment. The contempt for truth, the promotion of discord, and the lack of compassion for a departed soul and her family are contrary to the Christian virtues of charity and justice.
Our only recourse, in the face of such errors, is prayer for the conversion of his heart, so that he may recognize the duties incumbent upon all followers of Christ, especially those who hold public authority.