UN rights office urges independent probe into fatal shooting by US immigration agent

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The UN human rights office on Tuesday urged US authorities to carry out a "prompt, independent and transparent" investigation into the fatal shooting by a US immigration officer, saying the intentional use of lethal force should only be used as a "measure of last resort."

"Under international human rights law, the intentional use of lethal force is only permissible as a measure of last resort against an individual representing an imminent threat to life," UN human rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said, stressing the need for accountability in the case.

Laurence's comments come as protests have spread across the US following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Renee Good by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer Jonathan Ross in Minnesota.

"We take note of the FBI investigation and insist on the need for prompt, independent and transparent investigation into the killing of Ms. Good," he told reporters in Geneva, adding that all authorities should "take measures to de-escalate tensions and refrain from incitement to violence."

Trump administration officials say the shooting was a defensive action, a claim rejected by local authorities and eyewitnesses, who point to video footage of the incident.

The US state of Minnesota and its two largest cities -- Minneapolis and St. Paul -- filed a lawsuit Monday against the federal Department of Homeland Security to end what they called a "federal invasion" of their state.

The lawsuit seeks to stop the "unprecedented surge" of more than 2,000 federal agents deployed by Homeland Security.

The filing also accuses the Trump administration of violating the 10th Amendment of the US Constitution by superseding Minnesota’s right to police itself, which the lawsuit classifies as "a federal invasion of the Twin Cities."