Stephen A. Smith Says ICE Agent Was Justified — But Questions Why Deadly Force Was Used

A national sports voice waded into a heated national debate this week, offering a blunt assessment of a fatal encounter between federal agents and a Minneapolis woman that has sparked protests and political backlash.

ESPN host 👤Stephen A. Smith weighed in on the shooting death of 👤Renee Nicole Good during an episode of his podcast, framing the incident as legally justified while questioning whether it needed to end with a loss of life, according to Fox News.

After reviewing the video of the encounter multiple times, Smith said he does not believe the ICE agent involved will face criminal charges.

“I saw the video on numerous occasions and seeing what transpired from a lawful perspective as it pertains to a law enforcement official, don’t expect him to be prosecuted. He was completely justified,” Smith said.

But Smith drew a sharp line between legality and judgment, arguing the outcome could have been different.

“From a humanitarian perspective, however, why did you have to do that?” he continued. “If you could move out the way, that means you could have shot the tires. That means you could have got a few feet away after you shot the tires.”

Smith said even if disabling the vehicle failed, he believed there were alternatives short of deadly force.