Light 'Em Up

Welcome to this explosive, comprehensive episode of Light ‘Em Up. As we come to air with this episode, another person has been shot and killed in Minneapolis, MN, this time by Border Patrol agents. The tension and the stakes in the streets couldn’t be any higher. Tonight, we shine the antiseptic light of the truth and examine in-depth the killing of Renee Good, 37, mother of 3, by an Immigration & Customs Enforcement Officer during a large immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis on January 7th. As Minnesota state officials demand an end to the Trump administration’s divisive, brutal “immigration crackdown” in Minnesota: Renee Good should still be alive today. This episode confronts the deadly consequences of deploying federal officers into U.S. cities as a political ploy rather than a public‑safety necessity. When federal power is used as a stage prop, communities become collateral damage, and human lives become expendable. In this episode: —     We’ll examine what the landmark Supreme Court decision Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386 (1989) is and what is says, as it will certainly be applied to this case.  —     We’ll introduce the legal concept of “officer induced jeopardy” which argues that police officers should be held liable—criminally or civilly—when their own, unjustifiable, or reckless tactical choices create a dangerous situation that forces them to use deadly force.  It posits that police cannot intentionally escalate a situation to a point of fatal risk and then justify shooting as self-defense. We dig deeper into the Supreme Court-crafted “qualified immunity” concept. As we examine the authority of the police to use force -- as it represents one of the most misunderstood powers granted to representatives of law enforcement by the public at large -- we will ferret out just what is meant in this process by being “objectively reasonable”, again, which very few people outside of legal scholars truly understand. —     And we’ll analyze and break down frame by frame the fateful shooting. The Feds have failed to cooperate with Minnesota officials as countless details remain in dispute.  President Trump, just moments after the shooting, already put his thumb on the scales of justice by saying that the “agents had acted in self-defense”. This comes from a man who has lied on and vehemently demonized innocent immigrants who were in this country legally and in a legal and protected status in Springfield, Ohio, saying that they were “eating the dogs and the cats” there.  Through careful reporting, historical context, and a clear-eyed look at the federal government’s expanding use of force, this episode asks a fundamental question: What happens when political theater is backed by a gun and a badge? There is an epidemic of moral cowardice in this country. No one is safe from ICE. Many people probably believed that even in “Trump’s America”, citizens would still have inviolable liberties to stand up to the jack-booted, masked agents who have swarmed upon the communities where they call home. This is what happens when the Federal government sends troops into our cities. Did anyone learn anything from the tragic events at Kent State University on May 4th, 1970? All of our “rights” have been eroded.  How does that sit with you? Is this what you voted for? We’ve got “on the scene audio” as it was happening. We’ve got boots on the ground in Minneapolis.  Tune in to our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot! We want to hear from you!  We want to hear from you! Support the show