It’s a good piece of work, for which the NYT deserves credit. Here’s what I think we learn from this. First, and as background, we know that police in general are paranoid, because they are tasked with policing a society that is heavily armed, since the U.S. does not have civilized gun laws. Second, ICE officers are particularly paranoid, because everyone other than Kristi Noem, Stephen Miller and some bloviating buffoons on social media hate them (and for rather good reasons). Third, ICE officers are not well-trained (recall the comment of a NYC criminal defense lawyer that they are the “dregs” of federal law enforcement), which is on full display here. Fourth, when one ICE officer said “he has a gun,” that set off panic and shooting by other ICE officers, not surprising given the preceding. This is why ICE needs to be removed from the task of roaming streets seeking victims. The ICE officers who fired shots need to be removed from service pending the investigation. One may hope they are convicted of manslaughter, at least, if not murder.

ADDENDUM: Reader Gregory Mayer points out that the officers involved in this killing were technically part of Border Patrol, rather than ICE, although both are part of the Department of Homeland Security, and both have been part of the roaving terror patrols in Minneapolis. I imagine that difference was not apparent to Mr. Pretti or anyone on the scene.