'A tragedy of her own making': JD Vance defends ICE agent in wake of Minneapolis shooting

Vice President JD Vance on Thursday defended the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who fatally shot a woman during an operation in Minneapolis, by asserting that the officer acted in self-defense after allegedly being rammed with a vehicle.

During a press conference at the White House, Vice President Vance claimed that the victim deliberately tried to ram the officer with her SUV and attributed the event to both the woman's conduct and the political climate promoted by sectors of the left.

"I can believe that her death is a tragedy, while also recognizing that it’s a tragedy of her own making and a tragedy of the far left," Vance said.

The woman was identified as Renee Nicole Good, 37, a U.S. citizen, poet and mother of three. The officer involved, whose identity was not disclosed, opened fire during Wednesday's confrontation.

While Vance insisted that Good attempted to "ram" the officer, video footage of the incident is inconclusive. In one of the recordings, the officer is seen firing as he moves to the side of the vehicle, and in another, the SUV appears to graze him after the first shot.

President Donald Trump initially maintained that the woman tried to run over the agent, although he later moderated that version in an interview with The New York Times.

Vance also announced the creation of a new deputy attorney general position from the White House to toughen action against those he said "inciting violence against our law enforcement officers." He further stated that the agent had already been attacked in the past and struck by vehicles on two occasions in the past six months.

Finally, he confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security will continue with operations in Minnesota, including "door-to-door" checks to investigate suspected fraud.