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Public disputes concerning political parties, public officials, institutions, political conduct, and governance in the United States.
Counts show individual statements. They do not assign an overall position.
4 statements on this page. Dates: September 12, 2025 to January 7, 2026
4 matching statements. Dates: September 12, 2025 to January 7, 2026
4 published statements. Dates: September 12, 2025 to January 7, 2026
Role at the time: U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson
Statement summary
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Renée Good weaponized her vehicle and attempted to run over law enforcement officers, defending the agent's decision to fire as justified self-defense.
“weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers”
CBS News Minnesota explainer identifying the ICE officer who fired the shots and summarizing the competing federal and local accounts.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)McLaughlin argues Good posed an active threat to agents, directly asserting the factual basis DHS uses to call the shooting justified self-defense rather than merely disputing how it has been described.
Role at the time: Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary for public affairs
Statement summary
McLaughlin said Jimenez drove at the officers and characterized Ortiz’s gunfire as defensive.
“The car stopped and attempted to run officers over by reversing directly at them without stopping. An ICE officer, fearing for his life, fired defensive shots at the vehicle.”
Contemporaneous Los Angeles Times reporting on the Ontario shooting, including statements from DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin and Rep. Norma Torres.
She supplies the government’s justification for the shooting and explicitly describes the shots as defensive.
Role at the time: Department of Homeland Security spokesperson
Statement summary
McLaughlin said Brown deliberately drove at officers and that Bebber fired defensive shots out of fear for their safety.
“During the attempted stop, the suspect drove his vehicle at a Metro Police officer and a special agent from Homeland Security Investigations, in a deliberate attempt to run them down. The agent, in fear for his life, and the lives of others, and the public fired defensive shots into the suspect’s vehicle.”
Associated Press reporting on the shooting, DHS's defensive-fire account, the omission of the gunfire from the initial arrest report, bullet damage described by Brown's lawyers and dismissal of Brown's fleeing charge.
She explicitly supplies a self-defense justification for Bebber’s decision to fire.
Role at the time: Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary for public affairs
Statement summary
McLaughlin said the agent followed his training and used appropriate force to protect himself and others.
“We are praying for the speedy recovery of our law enforcement officer. He followed his training, used appropriate force, and properly enforced the law to protect the public and law enforcement.”
DHS's contemporaneous account says Villegas González drove at officers, struck and dragged an ICE officer, and that an officer fired while fearing for his life. Direct access returned a 403 during this review; the wording was verified through the official Illinois Accountability Commission brief and Capitol News Illinois reporting.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)She expressly defends the shooting as an appropriate, trained response to a threat.
