Thurston County sheriff tells drivers how to handle ICE stops

Local law enforcement has been weighing in after Renee Good was shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis.

Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders called the shooting “undeniably preventable” in a Facebook post Thursday.

He echoed that sentiment on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio Friday.

“If you’ve followed along with the sheriff’s office over the last three years, you know that we’ve had no shortage of close calls, lots of scenarios that I’ve watched over the last few years where deputies, and even officers within our county, could absolutely draw their firearm and use it, but what we found time and time again is that utilizing the principles of distance and cover to buy time allows us to slow down and make better decisions,” Sanders said.

Good was driving her car when the officer shot her. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed the officer fired in self-defense, saying Good tried to hit officers with her vehicle. But Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called Noem’s account bull****.

Thurston County sheriff’s advice for drivers

Sanders’ advice for drivers stopped by ICE is to cooperate as much as possible.

“Do the best that you can of what you’re told,” he said. “At the end of the day, there is validity to the point of, we don’t want back and forth. We do not want to have uncertainty in these calls, and that’s true for every law enforcement officer, but my recommendation for you is to pull over to a safe place.”

“You are always lawfully allowed to record the police in Washington, and bystanders are allowed to record the police as well. I’ve never taken issue with individuals wanting to record us, and we should have our body cameras on as well,” he continued.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.