Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed Friday as a day of a "Day of Unity" in remembrance of Renee Nicole Good.
In a statement, Walz said people can honor Good's life and service by standing together for decency, democracy, compassion, and shared values. Walz added Minnesotans and all Americans can join in the day of unity, honoring Good with a moment of silence at 10:00 a.m., and participating in acts of service.
Meanwhile, work crews from the City of Minneapolis were busy before dawn at the site of Wednesday's fatal shooting by a federal ICE agent.
"We removed approximately 15 tons of debris, including metal and tires and pallets from the street, that were blocking the streets out there on 34th and Portland," said Interim Minneapolis Fire Chief Melanie Rucker.
She told WCCO's Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar that the growing memorial for Renee Good was not disturbed.
"We're not saying that people cannot come out to memorialize the tragic loss that happened here," Rucker said. "We just want to make sure that it is safe and that we can get through and not cause any more tragedy."
Crews began removing the debris at about 4:00 a.m. Friday. The memorial on the site includes flowers, candles, cards and other items.
However, Rucker says the streets needed to be accessible for emergency vehicles
"It's an extreme safety risk for the community," Rucker adds. "So we want to make sure the community, you know, doesn't have any further tragic losses or risks. So it's about the safety of the community, about having to remove those barriers and not about the memorial."
Renee Good is the woman shot in her SUV in a residential neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis, about a mile from where police killed George Floyd in 2020.
Videos taken by bystanders and posted online show an officer approaching a vehicle stopped in 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 draws his gun and immediately fires at least two shots at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him.
It is not clear from the videos if the officer gets struck by the SUV, which speeds into two cars parked on a curb before stopping.
It’s also not clear what happened in the lead-up to the shooting.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the SUV was part of a group of protesters that had been harassing agents and “impeding operations” that morning. She said agents had freed one of their vehicles that was stuck in snow and were leaving the area when the confrontation and shooting occurred.
No video has emerged to corroborate Noem’s account. Bystander video from the shooting scene shows a sobbing woman who says the person shot was her wife. That woman hasn’t spoken publicly to give her version of events.
