I'm a former defense attorney and currently a civil liberties attorney with no political dog in this fight. I watched the video at least 10 times from different angles and at different speeds and waited to offer an opinion, which I still reserve the right to change if additional information changes the calculus.
It is very clear that the officers instigated the confrontation. The woman initially tried to wave them past her.
ICE officers have no authority to search a US citizen or arrest her (unless there's probable cause to believe she's harboring undocumented individuals, not a contention here). A woman surrounded by masked, armed men who have no law enforcement authority over her has every right to try to escape. Video shows her steering wheel is turned to the right, clearly an attempt to leave WITHOUT hitting anyone and steer clear of the officer standing towards the front of her car. That officer had time to step to the side, which is where he was when he shot her.
Even a real police officer would not have the right to shoot at her for trying to flee. This is well-established in the case law; deadly force may not be used simply to prevent someone from getting away. Given that the ICE officers had no law enforcement authority to begin with, AND the video footage shows she was trying to escape a perceived threat, not to kill anyone, the crime is all the more inexcusable.
I'm praying for the victim's family, especially her children. I'm also praying for all the conservatives who are so unprincipled and lost they're excusing this terrible crime, and gloating over a death that will leave three young children motherless, because of the victim's politics.
This is chilling to watch and utterly unacceptable in the United States of America.
As a former Senator, I’m calling on all current members to speak out on behalf of Sen. Padilla and defend him and the Senate against these outrageous attacks.
Stop this blatant violation of the Constitution’s system of checks and balances before it’s too late.
On April 4, Justice Amy Coney Barrett said people should "read the opinion" to decide if a Supreme Court decision sounds like law-free policymaking.
On April 6, the Supreme Court issued a 5–4 decision weakening the Clean Water Act—without issuing any opinion at all.
Q.E.D.
@razzli_ The same way white women can vote for a 😺 grabbing sexual predator over Biden and still look themselves in the mirror. All part of the pick me crowd who will never be good enough for the people whose coattails they're riding.