A live television report from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest in St. Paul, Minnesota, took an emotional turn on Thursday when a reporter offered a hug to a grieving therapist. The exchange occurred amid demonstrations following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old mother of three, Renee Nicole Good, by an ICE agent.
An On-Air Embrace Amidst Grief
MS Now reporter Alex Tabet was covering the protest when he spoke to a woman named Sattu, who identified herself as a therapist. Through tears, Sattu described the overwhelming impact of ICE operations on her community and her clients. She revealed she sees three to four suicidal patients daily, a caseload intensified by local tensions.
"People want to talk about the politics, and us therapists are trained to not talk about politics. And it's just been very exhausting for me to work, do my job, when there's so much going on in the community," Sattu said. It was at this point Tabet asked if she needed a hug. She accepted, and the two embraced on screen.
The Shooting and Conflicting Narratives
The protests were triggered by the death of Renee Nicole Good on Wednesday. Footage shows Good blocking a road with her SUV before reversing as an agent attempted to open the driver's door. Three shots were fired, after which Good lost control, crashing into parked cars and a light pole.
Her wife, Rebecca, was heard in harrowing aftermath footage saying, "I made her come down here, it's my fault," suggesting she encouraged Good to confront agents. While witnesses claimed the couple were acting as legal observers, Good's mother, Donna Ganger, denied her daughter was part of the protests. The Trump administration labelled Good a 'professional agitator', while Minneapolis Democratic officials have called the shooting a murder.
Community Reaction and Agent Identified
In the wake of the shooting, protesters gathered outside Minneapolis' immigration court on Thursday, carrying signs with slogans like 'ICE Out Now' and chanting for justice. Schools cancelled activities as a precaution, and Governor Tim Walz urged calm.
The ICE agent involved was identified as Jonathan 'Jon' Ross, an officer described as 'experienced'. Ross was seriously injured in a June 2023 incident where he was dragged by a car while attempting to arrest an illegal immigrant. The driver in that case, Roberto Carlos Munoz-Guatemala, was later convicted of assault.
During the protest, Sattu, the therapist, expressed sympathy for officers lacking training, asking, "Can we open a dialogue?... This all can be avoided." She argued lethal force should be a last resort, stating Good's death was "an example of how somebody's lack of training can ruin somebody's life."
