Warriors coach Steve Kerr addresses fatal ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis

Steve Kerr applauded the Timberwolves for holding a moment of silence for Renee Nicole Good, a motorist shot and killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.

SAN FRANCISCO – Warriors coach Steve Kerr is pleased with the franchise that booted his team from the NBA playoffs last season.

Kerr’s reasoning for applauding the Minnesota Timberwolves is simple: Some occurrences are bigger than basketball.

The Timberwolves, during their home game Thursday night, took a sociopolitical stand that some prefer to avoid, holding a moment of silence for Renee Nicole Good, a motorist shot and killed by an ICE officer on Wednesday in Minneapolis.

“I'm glad that the Timberwolves recognized her life and the tragic nature of her death,” Kerr said Friday before tipoff against the Sacramento Kings. “It's shameful, really, that in our country, we can have law enforcement officers commit murder and seemingly get away with it. It's shameful that the government can come out and lie about what happened when there's video and witnesses who have all come out and disputed what the government's saying.”

Reaction to the fatal shooting has been polarizing along political lines, with one side viewing video evidence and blaming Good while calling her a “domestic terrorist.” The other side, reviewing the same video, blames the ICE officer, who fired his weapon in violation of written policy.

The shooting – the ninth by ICE officers since September, according to the New York Times – occurred a few blocks away from the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and, as was the case in the wake of the police conduct that killed Floyd, has led to numerous organized protests across the country – including several in the Bay Area.

Kerr has been outspoken in condemning political violence and is a longtime advocate for gun safety, stemming from the assassination of his father, Malcolm, in 1984 in Beirut. He can relate to the agony now afflicting Good’s family.

“So very demoralizing, devastating to lose anyone's life, especially in that matter,” Kerr said. “It's terrible, terribly sad for her family and for her and for that city. And I'm glad the Timberwolves came out and expressed that sadness.”