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Tag: APP Public Safety

  • ‘We Are The Essentials’ helps find the missing

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    HOMOSASSA, Fla. — In missing person’s cases, the most important question is not ‘why’ or ‘how,’ but ‘where?’

    What You Need To Know

    • We Are the Essentials is a rescue and recovery nonprofit helping families find missing loved ones. 

    • Made up of former law enforcement, private investigators and military members, the group of volunteers has located dozens of missing persons over the past few years. 

    • This story is part of a series of reports connected to the 20-year mark of Jennifer Kesse’s disappearance.


    “So her body was discarded in this pond,” said Shelley Croft, pointing to a murky creek that flows parallel to Suncoast Boulevard in Homosassa.

    Croft, Amanda Reece and Billy Lane stand along the creek. The three have spent hours in and along this small creek in rural Citrus County.

    “We came back out just recently and found another three bones,” said Lane.

    The trio are the founders of We Are the Essentials, a rescue and recovery nonprofit whose mission is to find the missing.

    “You always remember their names. You always remember where you recovered them from. Always,” said Lane.

    In a creek is where Jaime MacDonald’s body was dumped after she was murdered. It sat submerged for 44 days before she was found by police.

    Hope Yates looks down at the spot her mother was found. She is MacDonald’s eldest child. She came back here in January to meet Croft, Lane and Reece because they had recently uncovered more missing bones that belong to MacDonald.

    Made up of former law enforcement, private investigators and military members, the group of volunteers has located dozens of missing persons over the past few years. (Spectrum Bay News 9/Erin Murray)

    “This is so special, thank you guys,” said Yates.

    Like most missing person cases, MacDonald’s started with missed phone calls. Her two children knew something was wrong and called the police.

    “It was very frustrating,” remembers Yates. “And the 44 days before she was found, we were kind of left in the dark. So we weren’t really aware where the case was going.”

    Yates said the police did not continually communicate, so she and her brother turned to the internet searching for help. That is when they found We Are The Essentials.

    “It was just so comforting just to have somebody responding when we were at such a time of silence,” said Yates.

    Silence that often happens when search efforts stall.

    “Because a lot of time and not knowing, I think can also destroy a life,” said Reece.

    That is just one of many reasons the nonprofit was started by private investigators and former law enforcement.

    Their first big case is one most people across the United States know.

    “Because of Gabby, we exist,” said Lane.

    The group played a role in the search efforts after Gabby Petito was found murdered.

    “A group of former law enforcement, military guys, we all worked together,” said Lane. “We decided, let’s go out. Let’s use our skills to see if we can help find Brian Laundrie.”

    Though after that case, the purpose of We Are The Essentials became more clear.

    “It was important for us not to seek out suspects, but we flipped it from suspects to actual victims and those who were missing,” said Lane.

    To date, they have found dozens of people, augmenting law enforcement efforts.

    Croft points out that there are several gaps when it comes to missing person’s cases. A big one Reece and Croft say is the usual rule to wait 48 hours before police will pick up a missing person’s case.

    “Those are the most critical, important times is when that person goes missing initially. And I believe that there needs to be a streamlined approach,” said Croft.

    They are now pushing for a federal law to create a stronger national database for missing person’s investigations.

    “Our goal is to come up with a No Wate Bill. The ‘WATE’ being W-A-T-E, for We Are The Essentials,” said Croft.

    They group firmly feels it would help with the cases that go cold or fall through the cracks.

    “Everybody deserves answers,” said Croft “And I think that unknown is the hardest part because so many families like the Kesse’s, you know, they’re going on 20 years. And they don’t have those answers.”

    Yates agrees. Parts of her mother’s hand were never found, and she said she will not stop looking until they are all discovered. 

    “I will not,” said Yates. “I’ll be looking for Mom until we find all of her.”

    Nonprofits like We Are The Essentials do not charge families. Lane said their services are always free. 

    To keep going, the group relies on sponsors and private donations. 

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    Erin Murray

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  • Crews search for kayaker missing near Honeymoon Island

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    PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The search continues for a kayaker who went missing on Sunday afternoon.

    Officials with the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast stated that air and surface crews are searching for 19-year-old Elias Guillermo Lara Vargas.

    Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officials say they got a call around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday that two kayakers had gone missing.

    They were in the water around Honeymoon Island State Park.

    Authorities say three kayakers went out, and that two of them ended up in the water.

    Dunedin Fire Rescue says it rescued one person from the water who was then taken to the hospital to get checked out.

    FWC says the two kayaks were found on Caladesi Island.

    Search operations were suspended at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday night.

    Dunedin Fire Rescue went back out to Honeymoon Island to search the shore for any signs of the kayaker.

    Multiple agencies are involved in the search.

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • After almost losing her child, local mother supports drowning prevention bills

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    A Florida lawmaker is hoping to save lives with a series of bills aimed at drowning prevention.

    In 2025, 119 children drowned, according to the Florida Department of Children and Families. Lawmakers believe these new bills, if passed, could reduce those numbers.

    What You Need To Know

    • Shakilya Lewis said her son nearly died in a drowning when he was 3 years old; he suffered a brain injury

    • Florida State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith is the lawmaker behind bills designed to improve pool safety

    • Smith’s proposed bill would bring older pools up to code if the homes are ever sold; but he’s not stopping there

    Shakilya Lewis sure hopes so. Her 7-year-old Brandon Green Jr., also known as BJ, survived a near drowning when he was just 3 years old. Lewis said he was visiting a family member’s home and was left unsupervised. She said a backyard camera captured the incident.

    “He was just throwing toys in and out of the water, running in and out of the house with the toys,” Lewis said. “Eventually he started jumping in after the toys and swimming back to the wall. That last time he may have jumped in too far, and he couldn’t get back to the wall. His uncle came home and found him face down and proceeded to start CPR.”

    Lewis said BJ was in a coma for a week and that when he woke up, they faced a new reality. Her once bubbly, talkative 3-year-old had a serious brain injury, and all she could think of was how this happened and how accidents like this can be prevented.

    “They put him in a medically induced coma because his brain was, he was seizing, and his brain was all over the place. Nothing was normal, and finally he woke up like a week later,” she said. “All of the situations are different. Yes, but the thing that’s not different is that there is an adult around and that maybe their doors don’t have locks on them, or there aren’t alarms on the doors, or maybe the pool doesn’t have a fence, a self-locking fence.”

    Florida State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith noticed those details, too.

    “Current Florida law says that all new residential swimming pool builds need to have one of five pool safety features installed in order to be compliant with the pool safety act passed in the year 2000,” he said.

    Carlos Guillermo Smith, seen here during an interview with Spectrum News Political Connections.

    Those residential pool safety options require backyard pools constructed in the year 2000 or later must meet at least one of these requirements: a fence or gate, an approved pool cover, an exit alarm on doors and windows near pool, a self-closing, self-latching device with a release mechanism on windows and doors near pool or a swimming pool alarm.

    “The current law has a loophole because only those residential swimming pools were built after the law was passed in the year 2000 are required to have one of these pool safety features installed,” Smith said.

    Smith’s proposed bill would bring older pools up to code if the homes are ever sold. But he’s not stopping there. Smith has filed and co-introduced four different bills aimed at drowning prevention.

    One bill would add requirements for pool safety at vacation rentals, another will address drowning prevention education, and the other expands the swimming lesson voucher program.

    Lewis said she kept track of the 119 child drownings in 2025, so she is relieved that these bills were filed and thankful her son’s accident can serve as another reminder of how important this is.

    “A lot of kids don’t make it when it comes to drownings. And I think that we’re blessed because we don’t take it for granted that other parents are holding pictures of their kids, but I still get to hold him every night,” Lewis said.

    The bills still have to move through several committees during this legislative session.

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    Saundra Weathers

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  • DOJ investigating if Walz, Frey impeded immigration enforcement

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    MINNEAPOLIS — The Justice Department is investigating whether Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have impeded federal immigration enforcement through public statements they have made, two people familiar with the matter said Friday.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Justice Department is investigating whether Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have impeded federal immigration enforcement through public statements they have made, according to two people familiar with the matter

    • The investigation focused on potential violation of a conspiracy statute, the people said

    • In response to reports of the investigation, Walz said in a statement: “Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic”
    • The investigation comes during a weekslong immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and St. Paul that the Department of Homeland Security has called its largest recent immigration enforcement operation

    The investigation, which both Walz and Frey said was a bullying tactic meant to threaten political opposition, focused on potential violation of a conspiracy statute, the people said.

    The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss a pending investigation by name.

    CBS News first reported the investigation.

    The investigation comes during a weekslong immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and St. Paul that the Department of Homeland Security has called its largest recent immigration enforcement operation, resulting in more than 2,500 arrests.

    The operation has become more confrontational since the fatal shooting of Renee Good on Jan. 7, with agents pulling people from cars and homes and frequently being confronted by angry bystanders demanding they leave. State and local officials have repeatedly told protesters to remain peaceful.

    In response to reports of the investigation, Walz said in a statement: “Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic.”

    U.S. senators Kelly, from Arizona, and Slotkin, from Michigan, are under investigation from the President Donald Trump administration after appearing with other Democratic lawmakers in a video urging members of the military to resist “illegal orders.” The administration has also launched a criminal investigation of Powell, a first for a sitting federal reserve chair.

    Walz’s office said it has not received any notice of an investigation.

    Frey described the investigation as an attempt to intimidate him for “standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement, and our residents against the chaos and danger this Administration has brought to our streets.”

    The U.S. attorney’s office in Minneapolis did not immediately comment.

    In a post on the social media platform X following reports of the investigation, Attorney General Pam Bondi said: “A reminder to all those in Minnesota: No one is above the law.” She did not specifically mention the investigation.

    State calls for peaceful protests

    With more protests expected in the Twin Cities this weekend, state authorities urged demonstrators to avoid confrontation.

    “While peaceful expression is protected, any actions that harm people, destroy property or jeopardize public safety will not be tolerated,” said Commissioner Bob Jacobson of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

    His comments came after Trump backed off a bit from his threat a day earlier to invoke an 1807 law, the Insurrection Act, to send troops to suppress demonstrations.

    “I don’t think there’s any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I’d use it,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.

    A U.S. judge in Minnesota ruled on Friday that the federal officers working in the Minneapolis-area enforcement operation can’t detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities, including when they’re observing agents.

    The case was filed before Good’s shooting on behalf of six Minnesota activists represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota.

    Government attorneys had argued that the officers have been acting within their legal authority to enforce immigration laws and protect themselves. But the ACLU has said government officers are violating the constitutional rights of Twin Cities residents.

    Detention whiplash

    A Liberian man who has been shuttled in and out of custody since immigration agents broke down his door with a battering ram was released again Friday, hours after a routine check-in with authorities led to his second arrest.

    The initial arrest of Garrison Gibson last weekend was captured on video. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Bryan ruled the arrest unlawful Thursday and freed him, but Gibson was detained again Friday when he appeared at an immigration office.

    A few hours later, Gibson was free again, attorney Marc Prokosch said.

    Gibson, 37, who fled the civil war in his West African home country as a child, had been ordered removed from the U.S., apparently because of a 2008 drug conviction that was later dismissed. He has remained in the country legally under what’s known as an order of supervision, Prokosch said, and complied with the requirement that he meet regularly with immigration authorities.

    In his Thursday order, the judge agreed that officials violated regulations by not giving Gibson enough notice that his supervision status had been revoked. Prokosch said he was told by ICE that they are “now going through their proper channels” to revoke the order.

    911 caller: Good was shot ‘point blank’

    Minneapolis authorities released police and fire dispatch logs and transcripts of 911 calls related to the fatal shooting of Good. Firefighters found what appeared to be two gunshot wounds in her right chest, one in her left forearm and a possible gunshot wound on the left side of her head, records show.

    “They shot her, like, cause she wouldn’t open her car door,” a caller said. “Point blank range in her car.”

    Good, 37, was at the wheel of her Honda Pilot, which was partially blocking a street. Video showed an officer approached the SUV, demanded that she open the door and grabbed the handle.

    Good began to pull forward and turned the vehicle’s wheel to the right. Another ICE officer, Jonathan Ross, pulled his gun and fired at close range, jumping back as the SUV moved past him. DHS claims the agent shot Good in self-defense.

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    Associated Press

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  • N.C. farm rattled by racist sign left on their property, FBI investigating

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    DEEP GAP, N.C. — The FBI is looking into a threat involving a sign with racist language left at a peaceful community farm in Watauga County. The sign appeared just after Christmas Day, and shook up the owners, workers and patrons.                                     

      What You Need To Know

    • A sign with racist language was left at a farm that works with the community in Deep Gap

    • Farmers there have been shaken by it, and the FBI is investigating

    • Truck tires were also stabbed when the sign was left


    Kara Dodson is the executive director on the farm, and she had a dream of starting it on this acre in Triplett for years before getting it going. Just over a year ago, her dream changed from a farm that sold crops to one that gives back to the community.

    They are now the nonprofit, Full Moon Farm Collective.

    “It’s one thing to provide shelf stable food to people that need it but also to provide nutrient-dense food. It’s also a health issue,” Dodson said.

    They donate nearly all of the food they make to places like Hunger and Health, The FARM Cafe and Hospitality House.

    “In 2025, we donated over 1,300 pounds of vegetables,” Dodson said. 

    (Photo provided: Kara Dodson)

    They use horses for therapy and have educational events at the farm to help people learn.

    The day after Christmas their safe place turned scary when a sign was left in front of the farm.

    “We don’t want to hold back from teaching people of color how to grow food in this county. We don’t want to be gatekeeping information because of racism,” Dodson said.

    It’s something Full Moon Farm Collective Tommy Lee says was shocking. He works at the farm and says that in 15 years of living in Boone, he’s never experienced racism like this before.

    “It kind of shook our sense of peace a little bit,” Tommy Lee said.

    He says the vandals not only left the sign, but also stabbed the tires on their trailer. They have moved all of their horses from the farm for their safety, but now the FBI is involved and is investigating the threat.

    According to Justice. Gov, there were 172 hate crimes in North Carolina based on race in 2023. It states that 58.5% of all bias-motivated crimes were due to race/ethnicity or ancestry in North Carolina.

    “I had to look out for cars look out for different people walking around whereas my first instinct would be a wave and a smile, and now I’m second-guessing who might be in a car what their motives might be,” Lee said. “Nobody wants to live like that nobody likes to live like that.”  

    Lee is hoping they find out who did this soon so the mountains that he calls medicine can go back to feeling like just that again.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Rose Eiklor

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  • Charlotte business owner it’s still slow after Border Patrol operations

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s been two months since U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents were in Charlotte and other North Carolina towns and cities, and a Charlotte laundromat owner says his business remains down. 

    What You Need To Know

    • It’s been two months since U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents conducted operations in Charlotte, Raleigh and Durham

    • The immigrant community saw huge impacts in Charlotte with everything from low school attendance to businesses temporarily closing

    • A laundromat owner says the return to normalcy for his business is slow.


    Weekends are the busiest time at North Tryon Laundromat, but owner David Rebolloso says even for a weekday things are slow right now.  

    “We used to be very busy, but as you can see right now, there’s nobody in here,” Rebolloso said. “As you can see, the parking lot, it’s, it’s pretty much empty, but we get so busy that, people could not park in here.” 

    It’s been two months since Customs and Border Patrol’s Charlotte’s Web Operation came through the city and right in front of Rebolloso’s business.  

    Since then, his bottom line is still being impacted.

    “It’s down half, at least 50%,” Rebolloso said. “I’m making the same amount with two locations what I used to make in one location now making a pretty much the same, but with two locations.”

    He opened his first laundromat location nine years ago. 

    CharlotteEAST, a nonprofit that serves the east side of Charlotte, says there are roughly 420 independently owned businesses in their area, and “nearly all were impacted in one way or another from CBP.”

    In a survey with 90 responses, there was “an average daily loss of $2,500 in revenue.” 

    They say no businesses in the area they serve shut down during the Border Patrol’s operations, but they estimate that nearly half closed temporarily. They say “business is slowly picking back up to pre-CBP pace but still lower than 2024.”  

    Rebolloso says knowing customers that got picked up by Border Patrol and seeing what his community went through two months ago, things still aren’t the same. 

    “I’m hoping that things will stabilize, and maybe it’ll pick up a little bit, you know, but it’ll never go back to the way things used to be,” Rebolloso said. 

    He says he hates to be pessimistic, but calls what he sees happening sad.

    “There’s optimism as an immigrant, as a migrant, there’s an optimism that things are going to get better if we work hard, you know, and if we strive and do what we’re supposed to do, life is going to get better. You know, the country’s getting better. We’re building the country, you know, and, and then we reached this point,” Rebolloso said.  

    Rebolloso says he and many others in the Latino community keep up with Spanish news where they’re consistently updated with immigration stories across the country, like in Minneapolis.

    “This young lady that was killed a few days ago, I don’t why. God works in mysterious ways. I think her name really is going to carry on for a very long time. Do good, be good. Do good, be good. That’s all we can do,” Rebolloso said. 

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Melody Greene

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  • Petition to remove Mecklenburg County sheriff dismissed

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A petition to remove Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden was dismissed Thursday morning.

    Judge R. Stuart Albright said the removal petition was filed without the approval of the county attorney or district attorney.

    During the hearing, D.A. Spencer Merriweather was asked if he approved of the petition, and he responded “no.”

    The same response was given from county attorney, Tyrone Wade.

    The SBI investigation into McFadden’s office is still ongoing, which means this could resurface down the line. In the complaint, statements accuse the sheriff of corruption, extortion, neglect of his duties and other concerns, and as a result, District Attorney Spencer Merriweather has called on the SBI to investigate those claims.

    “I feel great. It’s another day on the job,” McFadden said when asked how he felt about the hearing.

    McFadden’s attorney told the judge that it would create chaos if disgruntled employees could file a petition without authorization from the D.A. or county attorney.

    “Petitions would be filed all the time,” she warned. 

    Representative Carla Cunningham from the 106th District was one of the people listed on the petition, and she said she believes the SBI investigation could lead to the possbility of removal for the sheriff. 

    “I appreciate the court’s time today, though the dismissal does not change anything,” Cunningham said. “The SBI investigation will continue, and the DA will have an opportunity to seek Mcfadden’s removal based on the investigation. This is now in the courts hands, and I am focused on my reelection campaign to serve the 106th District in the North Carolina General Assembly.”

     

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    Jordan Kudisch

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  • Police: 1 dead, 1 hospitalized in shooting at Bradenton lab processing facility

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    BRADENTON, Fla. — Bradenton Police say a man faces first degree murder charges for allegedly killing his ex-girlfriend and wounding one of her co-workers at a medical processing lab.

    According to police, 29-year-old Keith Roberts, Jr. was arrested shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday. They say he fatally shot his ex-girlfriend, Myshaela Burnham, 29, then turned the gun on another office employee who witnessed the crime.

    It happened on 4th Avenue Circle East, just off of State Road 64. Police said the call came in shortly before 1 p.m. A spokesperson said a number of witnesses were able to identify a vehicle involved, and police stopped one matching that description 22 minutes later as it crossed the DeSoto Bridge into Palmetto. That’s where police said Roberts was taken into custody. 

    The other injured employee was hospitalized, and her name wasn’t being released by police Thursday night. Roberts also faces charges of attempted first degree murder with a firearm. Police said the investigation is ongoing.

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Newton Grove police chief resigns after arrest for peeping on minor

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    Facing felony charges for secret peeping and incident liberties with a minor, the police chief of Newton Grove, North Carolina, resigned, the town said Tuesday. 

    The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation arrested the police chief, Greg Warren, and accused him of taking secret pictures of a minor while she was sleeping. The SBI arrested Warren Jan. 7.

    “Effective immediately, Chief Warren is no longer an employee of the Town of Newton Grove,” officials said in a brief statement Tuesday.

    “Town officials have met and have taken all necessary steps to ensure there is no lapse in law enforcement services,” the town said. “Police operations will continue without interruption, and public safety services remain fully operational.” 

    The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office asked the SBI to investigate the accusations against the police chief. 

    Warren is charged with felony indecent liberties with a child and six counts of felony secret peeping, court records show.

    Newton Grove is a small town with a population of about 600, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It’s about 45 miles southeast of Raleigh in a mostly agricultural part of the state. 

    Warren is being held without bond. His case is subject to an Iryna’s Law bond review with a hearing set for Thursday.  

    The law is named for Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was killed on Charlotte’s lightrail back in August. It went into effect December 2025 and changes the way courtrooms across the state operate, overhauling several key areas of the criminal justice system. It changes how the state categorizes violent offenses and conditions for pretrial release, allowing judges more power to deny bond. It also brings back the death penalty by firing squad. 

     

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Charles Duncan

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  • Child dies after tunnel collapse near Citrus County park

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    INVERNESS, Fla. — The Citrus County community is mourning after two teens died in what investigators called a tunnel collapse.

    It happened over the weekend near Sportsman Park in Inverness.

    The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office said two 14-year-old boys were digging a tunnel Sunday morning when it collapsed on them.

    Both of their parents called the sheriff’s office when they could not reach the teens around lunchtime.

    Crews responded and administered CPR to both teens and took them to a hospital, where they died.

    The teens were identified as George Watts and Derrick Hubbard.

    Inverness Middle School posted about the tragedy and offered condolences on social media.

    Dr. Scott Hebert, superintendent of Citrus County Schools, says the news about the accident has struck the community.

    “Because Citrus County is a small community, we have students that might be in the elementary level,” he said. “We have teachers that might work with those students that might be at other schools, so we want to make sure that we’re providing that support to all those students.”

    The school says counselors and other members of the district’s Crisis Support Team will be on campus throughout the week.

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  • Firearm confiscated from Riverside School student

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    CLEVELAND — Cleveland Metropolitan School District families were alerted Monday that a firearm was found and confiscated from a student at one of CMSD’s schools.

    What You Need To Know

    • Riverside School Principal Heather Kama-Star sent a notice to parents about the situation Monday

    • Riverside School serves pre-K through eighth grade

    • The school is located in Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood

    Riverside School Principal Heather Kama-Star sent a notice to parents about the situation after a staff member found the firearm on a student entering the building. The weapon was confiscated, and teachers, administrators and safety and security members immediately responded. 

    “Our school district is now taking proactive steps to prevent this from happening again,” Kama-Star said. “As the building principal, it is my responsibility to ensure that our scholars are provided with a safe place that is conducive to learning and that their social-emotional learning is protected and uninterrupted.”

    Riverside School serves Pre-K through eighth grade in Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood.

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    Madison MacArthur

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  • Protests planned across U.S. after shootings in Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon

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    MINNEAPOLIS — Protesters against immigration enforcement took to the streets in cities and towns across the country on Saturday after one federal officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis and another shot and wounded two people in Portland, Oregon.

    What You Need To Know

    • Protesters against immigration enforcement are taking to the streets across the country after federal officers shot three people in Minneapolis and Portland

    • Saturday’s demonstrations come as the Department of Homeland Security pushes forward in the Twin Cities with what it calls its biggest-ever immigration enforcement operation

    • President Donald Trump’s administration has said both shootings were acts of self-defense against drivers who “weaponized” their vehicles to attack officers

    • ndivisible, a social movement group, has organized protests in several states, including Texas and Florida, and in Minneapolis, a rally was set to honor Renee Good, who was shot on Wednesday

    The demonstrations come as the Department of Homeland Security pushes forward in the Twin Cities with what it calls its biggest-ever immigration enforcement operation. President Donald Trump’s administration has said both shootings were acts of self-defense against drivers who “weaponized” their vehicles to attack officers.

    A woman holds a sign for Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis earlier in the week, as people gather outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

    Steven Eubanks, 51, said he felt compelled to get out of his comfort zone and attend a Saturday protest in Durham, North Carolina, because of what he called the “horrifying” killing in Minneapolis.

    “We can’t allow it,” Eubanks said. “We have to stand up.”

    Indivisible, a social movement organization that formed to resist the Trump administration, said hundreds of protests were scheduled in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Florida and other states. Many were dubbed “ICE Out for Good” using the acronym for the federal agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Indivisible and its local chapters organized protests in all 50 states last year.

    In Minneapolis, a coalition of migrant rights groups called for a demonstration at Powderhorn Park, a large green space about half a mile from the residential neighborhood where 37-year-old Renee Good was shot on Wednesday. They said the rally and march would celebrate Good’s life and call for an “end to deadly terror on our streets.”

    Protests held in the neighborhood so far have been peaceful, in contrast to the violence that hit Minneapolis in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Near the airport, some confrontations erupted on Thursday and Friday between smaller groups of protesters and agents guarding the federal building used as a base for the Twin Cities crackdown.

    Minneapolis police said at least 30 people were cited and released during protests Friday night that drew hundreds of people. Police said protesters threw ice, snow and rocks at officers, police vehicles and other vehicles, but no serious injuries were reported.

    The Trump administration has been surging thousands of federal officers to Minnesota under a sweeping new crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. More than 2,000 officers were taking part.

    Some officers moved in after abruptly pulling out of Louisiana, where they were part of another operation that started last month and was expected to last until February.

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    Associated Press

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  • County prosecutor calls on public to share Minneapolis shooting evidence

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    MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota prosecutor on Friday called on the public to share with investigators any recordings and evidence connected to the fatal shooting of Renee Good as a new video emerged showing the final moments of her encounter with an immigration officer.

    What You Need To Know

    • A Minnesota prosecutor is calling on the public to share with investigators any recordings and evidence connected to the fatal shooting of Renee Good as new video emerged showing the final moments of her encounter with an immigration officer

    • The Minneapolis fatal shooting and a separate shooting in Portland, Oregon, a day later by the Border Patrol have set off protests in multiple cities.

    • The Trump administration has defended the officer who shot Good in her car, saying he was protecting himself and fellow agents

    The Minneapolis fatal shooting and a separate shooting in Portland, Oregon, a day later by the Border Patrol have set off protests in multiple cities and denunciations of immigration enforcement tactics by the U.S. government. The Trump administration has defended the officer who shot Good in her car, saying he was protecting himself and fellow agents.

    The reaction to the shooting has largely been focused on witness cellphone video of the encounter. A new, 47-second video that was published online by a Minnesota-based conservative news site, Alpha News, and later reposted on social media by the Department of Homeland Security shows the shooting from the perspective of ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who fired the shots.

    Sirens blaring in the background, he approaches and circles Good’s vehicle in the middle of the road while apparently filming on his cellphone. At the same time, Good’s wife also was recording the encounter and can be seen walking around the vehicle and approaching the officer. A series of exchanges occurred:

    “That’s fine, I’m not mad at you,” Good says as the officer passes by her door. She has one hand on the steering wheel and the other outside the open driver side window.

    “U.S. citizen, former f—ing veteran,” says her wife, standing outside the passenger side of the SUV holding up her phone. “You wanna come at us, you wanna come at us, I say go get yourself some lunch big boy.”

    Other officers are approaching the driver’s side of the car at about the same time and one says: “Get out of the car, get out of the f—ing car.” Ross is now at the front driver side of the vehicle. Good reverses briefly, then turns the steering wheel toward the passenger side as she drives ahead and Ross opens fire.

    The camera becomes unsteady and points toward the sky and then returns to the street view showing Good’s SUV careening away.

    “F—ing b—,” someone at the scene says.

    A crashing sound is heard as Good’s vehicle smashes into others parked on the street.

    Federal agencies have encouraged officers to document encounters in which people may attempt to interfere with enforcement actions, but policing experts have cautioned that recording on a handheld device can complicate already volatile situations by occupying an officer’s hands and narrowing focus at moments when rapid decision-making is required.

    Under an ICE policy directive, officers and agents are expected to activate body-worn cameras at the start of enforcement activities and to record throughout interactions, and footage must be kept for review in serious incidents such as deaths or use-of-force cases. The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to questions about whether the officer who opened fire or any of the others who were on the scene were wearing body cameras.

    This image from video made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Jonathan Ross via Alpha News shows Renee Good in her vehicle in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo)

    Homeland Security says video shows self-defense

    Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in posts on X that the new video backs their contention that the officer fired in self-defense.

    “Many of you have been told this law enforcement officer wasn’t hit by a car, wasn’t being harassed, and murdered an innocent woman,” Vance said. “The reality is that his life was endangered and he fired in self defense.”

    Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has said any self-defense argument is “garbage.”

    Policing experts said the video didn’t change their thoughts on the use-of-force but did raise additional questions about the officer’s training.

    “Now that we can see he’s holding a gun in one hand and a cellphone in the other filming, I want to see the officer training that permits that,” said Geoff Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina.

    The video demonstrates that the officers didn’t perceive Good to be a threat, said John P. Gross, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School who has written extensively about officers shooting at moving vehicles.

    “If you are an officer who views this woman as a threat, you don’t have one hand on a cellphone. You don’t walk around this supposed weapon, casually filming,” Gross said.

    Ross, 43, is an Iraq War veteran who has served in the Border Patrol and ICE for nearly two decades. He was injured last year when he was dragged by a driver fleeing an immigration arrest.

    Attempts to reach Ross at phone numbers and email addresses associated with him were not successful.

    Protesters confront law enforcement outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(AP Photo/Adam Bettcher)

    Protesters confront law enforcement outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(AP Photo/Adam Bettcher)

    Prosecutor asks for video and evidence

    Meanwhile, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said that although her office has collaborated effectively with the FBI in past cases, she is concerned by the Trump administration’s decision to bar state and local agencies from playing any role in the investigation into Good’s killing.

    She also said the officer who shot Good in the head does not have complete legal immunity, as Vance declared.

    “We do have jurisdiction to make this decision with what happened in this case,” Moriarty said at a news conference. “It does not matter that it was a federal law enforcement agent.”

    Moriarty said her office would post a link for the public to submit footage of the shooting, even though she acknowledged that she wasn’t sure what legal outcome submissions might produce.

    Good’s wife, Becca Good, released a statement to Minnesota Public Radio on Friday saying, “kindness radiated out of her.”

    “On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns,” Becca Good said.

    “I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him,” she wrote.

    The reaction to Good’s shooting was immediate in the city where police killed George Floyd in 2020, with hundreds of protesters converging on the shooting scene and the school district canceling classes for the rest of the week as a precaution and offering an online option through Feb. 12.

    On Friday, protesters were outside a federal facility serving as a hub for the immigration crackdown that began Tuesday in Minneapolis and St. Paul. That evening, hundreds protested and marched outside two hotels in downtown Minneapolis where immigration enforcement agents were supposed to be staying. Some people were seen breaking or spray painting windows and state law enforcement officers wearing helmets and holding batons ordered the remaining group of fewer than 100 people to leave late Friday.

    Minneapolis Public Schools families, educators and students hold signs during a news conference at Lake Hiawatha Park in Minneapolis, on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, demanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement be kept out of schools and Minnesota following the killing of 37-year-old mother Renee Good by federal agents earlier on Wednesday. (Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)

    Minneapolis Public Schools families, educators and students hold signs during a news conference at Lake Hiawatha Park in Minneapolis, on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, demanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement be kept out of schools and Minnesota following the killing of 37-year-old mother Renee Good by federal agents earlier on Wednesday. (Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)

    Shooting in Portland

    The Portland shooting happened outside a hospital Thursday. A federal border officer shot and wounded a man and woman in a vehicle, identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Venezuela nationals Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras. Police said they were in stable condition Friday after surgery, with DHS saying Nico Moncada was taken into FBI custody

    DHS defended the actions of its officers in Portland, saying the shooting occurred after the driver with alleged gang ties tried to “weaponize” his vehicle to hit them. It said no officers were injured.

    Portland Police Chief Bob Day confirmed that the two people shot had “some nexus” to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang. Day said they came to the attention of police during an investigation of a July shooting believed to have been carried out by gang members, but they were not identified as suspects.

    The chief said any gang affiliation did not necessarily justify the shooting by U.S. Border Patrol. The Oregon Department of Justice said it would investigate.

    On Friday evening, hundreds of protesters marched to the ICE building in Portland.

    A protester yells at a Portland police officer outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

    A protester yells at a Portland police officer outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

    The biggest crackdown yet

    The Minneapolis shooting happened on the second day of the immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities, which Homeland Security said is the biggest immigration enforcement operation ever. More than 2,000 officers are taking part and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said they have made more than 1,500 arrests.

    The government is also shifting immigration officers to Minneapolis from sweeps in Louisiana, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. This represents a pivot, as the Louisiana crackdown that began in December had been expected to last into February.

    Good’s death — at least the fifth tied to immigration sweeps since President Donald Trump took office — has resonated far beyond Minneapolis. More protests are planned for this weekend, according to Indivisible, a group formed to resist the Trump administration.

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  • Man’s rifle jammed when he tried to shoot deputies, N.C. sheriff says

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    A Polk County man is facing multiple charges after a standoff with deputies Tuesday evening.

    What You Need To Know

    •  William Westbrook faces nearly a dozen charges, including attempted first-degree murder, following a standoff with Polk County deputies Tuesday evening

    •  Deputies were initially called in reference to a domestic dispute

    •  Upon arrival, Westbrook aimed a rifle at deputies, officials said, which prompted them to fire defensive shots

    •  Authorities said Westbrook attempted to fire the rifle at deputies but it jammed and did not go off


    Around 6 p.m. on Jan. 6, deputies responded to a domestic dispute call involving a man and woman on Landrum Road in Columbus, North Carolina. At her request, deputies said they met with the woman away from the home first and saw signs of physical assault.

    When they arrived at the home, deputies said William James Westbrook, 67, was armed with an AR-15 style rifle, which he aimed at authorities when asked to drop the weapon.

    Deputies fired shots in self-defense, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said, which caused Westbrook to retreat into the home.

    Westbrook eventually exited the home after negotiations, but then assaulted a deputy, officials said.

    An inspection of the rifle, the sheriff’s office said, showed Westbrook attempted to fire the rifle at deputies, but it jammed and didn’t go off.

    “I am grateful to report that no one was hurt in the incident,” Polk County Sheriff Tim Wright said in a statement.

    Westbrook is charged with three counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of assault on law enforcement officer with a firearm, two counts of resisting a public officer, and one count each of assault on a female, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, communicating threats and assault of a government official.

    As is standard procedure, officials said the deputies involved in the incident have been placed on paid administrative leave. The sheriff’s office also said it requested an investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, but was denied “due to absence of injuries from the gunfire.”

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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  • Officials warn of ongoing jury scam in Summit County

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    SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio — Officials are warning Summit County residents of an uptick in reports involving a jury call scam.

    What You Need To Know

    • Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro said the scam involves “spoofing” so it appears that the scammer is calling from a law enforcement or government agency

    • Officials said for those who receive a call sounding similar to this, the most important step to take is to stop and hang up

    • Officials said the next step is to call a trusted source and alert the authorities

    Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro said the scam involves “spoofing” so it appears that the scammer is calling from a law enforcement or government agency. 

    Scammers claim the call recipient has a warrant out for their arrest because they missed serving jury duty and that they must immediately pay a large fine to avoid jail time. 

    Officials said for those who receive a call sounding similar to this, the most important step to take is to stop and hang up the phone.

    “We know it feels counterintuitive because so many people want to take care of business and not be in trouble, especially when the scammer is so forceful in their urgency,” Shapiro said in a Facebook post. “But scammers exploit the good intentions of regular people who just want to do the right thing, and taking a pause & hanging up is the simplest, best way to thwart these scams.”

    Officials said the next step is to call a trusted source, alert the authorities and to pass on the tips to friends and families. 

    “Summit County government offices do not accept payment in gift cards, prepaid credit cards or cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin,” Shapiro’s post read. “Summit County will not call you about an outstanding warrant, and we do not issue summons for missed jury duty.”

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    Madison MacArthur

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  • Dayton-area lawyer faces over 90 felony charges

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    DAYTON, Ohio — A grand jury has indicted an Oakwood lawyer on 91 counts, Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. announced. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Matthew Currie faces 49 counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material and 40 counts of voyeurism

    • He also faces two counts of unauthorized use of computer/telecommunications property

    • Heck said Currie was previously the managing attorney at Advocates for Basic Legal Equality

    Matthew Currie faces 49 counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material and 40 counts of voyeurism, as well as two counts of unauthorized use of computer/telecommunications property. 

    He was taken into custody in Oakland County, Michigan, on Wednesday, according to the county’s jail roster.

    An investigation by the Oakwood Police Department found that Currie allegedly took illicit photos of a 17-year-old Oakwood High School student through her bedroom window, and when she moved away, he continued taking photos of women through windows. 

    Additionally, the investigation found that Currie attempted to film up skirts in a video taken at Oakwood High School as he walked through the auditorium. 

    “This defendant was stalking and photographing an underage Oakwood High School student,” Heck said. “He then went on to sneaking around and photographing and videotaping other women in his neighborhood by looking through their windows. Everyone should feel safe and expect privacy in their own home. This defendant will be held accountable for this activity.”

    Heck said Currie was previously the managing attorney at Advocates for Basic Legal Equality. He was also named a “Community Gem” by the Dayton Daily News in Aug. 2025. 

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    Lydia Taylor

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  • Charlotte protesters demand justice for Minneapolis woman killed by ICE officer

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dozens of protesters marched through the streets of Uptown Charlotte demanding justice for the woman who was killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.

    People gathered at First Ward Park Thursday for the “Stop ICE Terror” protest. It was held in response to the death of Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis Wednesday.

    What You Need To Know

    • Dozens of protesters gathered in Charlotte to demand justice for Renee Good

    • Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis Wednesday

    • DHS said the shooting was justified because the officer feared for his life

    • Protesters are demanding the officer who killed Good be charged with murder



    Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the fatal shooting was justified because the ICE officer feared and believed Good was attempting to run him over with her car.

    Protesters in Charlotte demanded the officer who killed Good be charged with murder.

    “It’s an injustice,” Paris Labelle said. “People should not be murdered senselessly. People should not be murdered at all.”

    “As soon as we saw the video and before the identity of Rene Nicole Good was revealed, we knew it was outrageous and wrong,” Asha Patel, an organizer for Party for Socialism and Liberation, said. “It was just so disgusting that we had to do something about it. We have to be out in the streets and show that we will not tolerate this.”

    Thursday’s protest came two months after Border Patrol agents arrested more than 400 undocumented immigrants in Charlotte as part of “Operation Charlotte’s Web.”

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Chloe Salsameda

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  • Federal immigration officers shoot and wound 2 people in Portland, Oregon

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    PORTLAND, Ore. — Federal immigration officers shot and wounded two people outside a hospital in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, a day after an officer shot and killed a driver in Minnesota, authorities said.

    What You Need To Know

    • The FBI’s Portland office said it was investigating an “agent involved shooting” that happened around 2:15 p.m.

    • Their conditions were not immediately known

    • Portland police secured both the scene of the shooting and the area where the wounded people were found pending investigation

    • The city officials said “federal militarization undermines effective, community‑based public safety, and it runs counter to the values that define our region

    The FBI’s Portland office said it was investigating an “agent involved shooting” that happened around 2:15 p.m. According to the Portland Police bureau, officers initially responded to a report of a shooting near a hospital.

    A few minutes later, police received information that a man who had been shot was asking for help in a different area a couple of miles away. Officers then responded there and found the two people with apparent gunshot wounds. Officers determined they were injured in the shooting with federal agents, police said.

    Their conditions were not immediately known. Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney said during a Portland city council meeting that Thursday’s shooting took place in the eastern part of the city and that two Portlanders were wounded.

    “As far as we know both of these individuals are still alive and we are hoping for more positive updates throughout the afternoon,” she said.

    The shooting comes a day after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a woman in Minnesota. It escalated tensions in an city that has long had a contentious relationship with President Donald Trump, including Trump’s recent, failed effort to deploy National Guard troops in the city.

    Portland police secured both the scene of the shooting and the area where the wounded people were found pending investigation.

    “We are still in the early stages of this incident,” said Chief Bob Day. “We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more.”

    Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and the city council called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to end all operations in Oregon’s largest city until a full investigation is completed.

    “We stand united as elected officials in saying that we cannot sit by while constitutional protections erode and bloodshed mounts,” a joint statement said. “Portland is not a ‘training ground’ for militarized agents, and the ‘full force’ threatened by the administration has deadly consequences.”

    The city officials said “federal militarization undermines effective, community‑based public safety, and it runs counter to the values that define our region. We’ll use every legal and legislative tool available to protect our residents’ civil and human rights.”

    They urged residents to show up with “calm and purpose during this difficult time.”

    “We respond with clarity, unity, and a commitment to justice,” the statement said. “We must stand together to protect Portland.”

    U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, urged any protesters to remain peaceful.

    “Trump wants to generate riots,” he said in a post on the X social media platform. “Don’t take the bait.”

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    Associated Press

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  • ICE agent shoots and kills woman during Minneapolis immigration crackdown

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    MINNEAPOLIS — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a Minneapolis driver on Wednesday during the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown on a major American city — a shooting that federal officials said was an act of self-defense but that the mayor described as reckless and unnecessary.

    What You Need To Know

    • Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who shot and killed a motorist acted recklessly, and he rejected federal officials’ claims that the officer had acted in self-defense

    • During a Wednesday news conference hours after the ICE officer shot the woman, an angry Frey blasted the federal immigration crackdown on the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul

    • Frey accused the federal officers of “sowing chaos on our streets, and in this case, quite literally killing people” 

    • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, during a Texas visit, described the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism” carried out against ICE officers by a woman who “attempted to run them over”

    The 37-year-old woman was shot in the head in front of a family member in a snowy residential neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis, just a few blocks from some of the oldest immigrant markets and about a mile from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020.

    Her killing after 9:30 a.m. was recorded on video by witnesses, and the shooting quickly drew a crowd of hundreds of angry protesters. By evening, hundreds were there for a vigil to mourn the death and urge the public to resist immigration enforcers.

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, while visiting Texas, described the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism” carried out against ICE officers by a woman who “attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle. An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively, shot, to protect himself and the people around him.”

    In a social media post, President Donald Trump made similar accusations against the woman and defended ICE’s work.

    Hours later, at an evening news conference in Minnesota, Noem didn’t back down, claiming the woman was part of a “mob of agitators.” She said the veteran officer who fired his gun had been rammed and dragged by an anti-ICE motorist in June.

    “Any loss of life is a tragedy, and I think all of us can agree that in this situation, it was preventable,” Noem said, adding that the FBI would investigate.

    But Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey blasted Noem’s version of what happened as “garbage” and criticized the federal deployment of more than 2,000 officers to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul as part of the immigration crackdown.

    “What they are doing is not to provide safety in America. What they are doing is causing chaos and distrust,” Frey said, calling on the immigration agents to leave. “They’re ripping families apart. They’re sowing chaos on our streets, and in this case, quite literally killing people.”

    “They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense. Having seen the video myself, I wanna tell everybody directly, that is bullshit,” the mayor said.

    Frey said he had a message for ICE: “Get the f— out of Minneapolis.”

    People protest as law enforcement officers attend to the scene of the shooting involving federal law enforcement agents, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Tom Baker)

     

    A shooting caught on video

    Videos taken by bystanders with different vantage points and posted to social media show an officer approaching an SUV stopped across the middle of the road, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle. The Honda Pilot begins to pull forward and a different ICE officer standing in front of the vehicle pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots into the vehicle at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him.

     

    It was not clear from the videos if the vehicle made contact with the officer. The SUV then sped into two cars parked on a curb nearby before crashing to a stop. Witnesses screamed obscenities, expressing shock at what they’d seen. After the shooting, emergency medical technicians tried to administer aid to the woman.

    “She was driving away and they killed her,” said resident Lynette Reini-Grandell, who was outdoors recording video on her phone.

    The shooting marked a dramatic escalation of the latest in a series of immigration enforcement operations in major cities under the Trump administration. The death of the Minneapolis driver, whose name wasn’t immediately released, was at least the fifth linked to immigration crackdowns.

    The Twin Cities have been on edge since DHS announced Tuesday that it had launched the operation, which is at least partly tied to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. Noem confirmed Wednesday that DHS had deployed more than 2,000 officers to the area and said they had already made “hundreds and hundreds” of arrests.

    A large throng of protesters gathered at the scene after the shooting, where they vented their anger at the local and federal officers who were there, including Gregory Bovino, a senior U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official who has been the face of crackdowns in Los Angeles, Chicago and elsewhere.

    In a scene that hearkened back to the Los Angeles and Chicago crackdowns, bystanders heckled the officers, chanting “Shame! Shame! Shame!” and “ICE out of Minnesota,” and blew whistles that have become ubiquitous during the operations.

    Governor calls for calm

    Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he’s prepared to deploy the National Guard if necessary. He said a family member of the driver was there to witness the killing, which he described as “predictable” and “avoidable.” He also said like many, he was outraged by the shooting, but he called on people to keep protests peaceful.

    “They want a show. We can’t give it to them. We cannot,” the governor said during a news conference. “If you protest and express your First Amendment rights, please do so peacefully, as you always do. We can’t give them what they want.”

    Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara briefly described the shooting to reporters but, unlike federal officials, gave no indication that the driver was trying to harm anyone.

    “This woman was in her vehicle and was blocking the roadway on Portland Avenue. … At some point a federal law enforcement officer approached her on foot and the vehicle began to drive off,” the chief said. “At least two shots were fired. The vehicle then crashed on the side of the roadway.”

    There were calls on social media to prosecute the officer who shot the driver. Commissioner Bob Jacobson of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said state authorities would investigate the shooting with federal authorities.

    “Keep in mind that this is an investigation that is also in its infancy. So any speculation about what has happened would be just that,” Jacobson told reporters.

    The shooting happened in the district of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who called it “state violence,” not law enforcement.

    For nearly a year, migrant rights advocates and neighborhood activists across the Twin Cities have been preparing to mobilize in the event of an immigration enforcement surge. From houses of worship to mobile home parks, they have set up very active online networks, scanned license plates for possible federal vehicles and bought whistles and other noisemaking devices to alert neighborhoods of any enforcement presence.

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    Associated Press

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  • Florida AG accuses Winter Haven of not enforcing public sleeping law

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    TAMPA — Florida’s attorney general is calling out the city of Winter Haven for its alleged lack of enforcement of public camping and sleeping laws against the community’s homeless population.

    What You Need To Know

    • Attorney General Uthmeier sent a letter to the City of Winter Haven, saying the city was repeatedly violating state law

    • The letter included images, apparently taken by a concerned citizen, of people experiencing homelessness in the community

    • Florida law prevents anyone from sleeping or camping in undesignated areas


    In a letter sent to city officials, Attorney General James Uthmeier says Winter Haven is in violation of Florida law when it comes to restricting public camping and sleeping. He included pictures, apparently taken by a concerned citizen, of those experiencing homelessness across the city of nearly 60,000 people.

    Uthmeier says the problem has grown so much over recent months that the public spaces are “unusable.”

    Bridget Engleman, executive director of the Homeless Coalition of Polk County, tracks the local homeless population.

    “Last year, we had a total of 804 individuals counted in Polk County. Out of that, 311 were in emergency shelter, 263 were in transitional housing and there’s 230 that were unsheltered. Out of the 804, 27 were from Winter Haven, the City of Winter Haven,” said Engleman.

    In response to the attorney general, Winter Haven police say they do enforce all applicable state, county and local regulations when it comes to the homeless but say last year only 1.4% of the more than 60,000 calls for service were for those experiencing homelessness.

    They also point to their efforts, removing 25 encampments, and connecting unhoused people they encounter with available resources.

    But those programs require funding, which Engleman says has been hard to come by.

    “Last year our state funding did decrease. You know, the COVID money is no longer there, the home ARP money is no longer there. And, currently, the 2025 NOFO or notice of funding opportunities from Housing and Urban Development is currently paused,” Engleman said.

    In his letter, AG Uthmeier highlighted the lack of designated public sleeping and camping sites in Polk County.

    Engleman says that’s because of the state’s rigid requirements: 24-hour security, access to mental health and medical care, running water, bathrooms and moving the site every year.

    It’s those high standards, and lack of state and federal funding for homeless support organizations, that Engleman says is preventing her organization from doing more.

    “What we need is more affordable housing, more shelter, and more funding because the cycle is going to go around — it’s a vicious cycle. It’s going to go around, and there’s not going to be any ending to it,” said Engleman.

    In their response, Winter Haven police said, “The act of homelessness, or being unhoused, is not in and of itself a crime.”

    Police say that when they find violations they “are addressed immediately,” but, they say, “Unhoused persons may be in and utilize public spaces, just as any other citizen, during the hours those spaces are open.”

    The AG is asking the city to respond to his letter within five business days and to provide all applications to the department of children and families to designate public spaces like these for public camping and sleeping.

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    Andy Cole

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