Stephen A. Smith doubles down on calling ICE shooting in Minneapolis 'completely justified'

Stephen A. Smith is arguably the most-well known sports commentator successful the country. But the outspoken ESPN commentator’s position extracurricular the sports arena has landed him successful a firestorm.

The furor is owed to his pointed comments defending an ICE cause who fatally changeable a Minneapolis pistillate driving distant from him.

Just hours aft the shooting connected Wednesday , Smith said connected his SiriusXM “Straight Shooter” speech amusement that though the sidesplitting of Renee Nicole Good was “completely unnecessary,” helium added that the cause “from a lawful perspective” was “completely justified” successful firing his weapon astatine her.

He besides noted, “From a humanitarian perspective, however, wherefore did helium person to bash that?”

Smith’s comments astir the cause being successful harms mode echoed the views of Deputy of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who said Good engaged successful an “act of home terrorism” by attacking officers and attempting to tally them implicit with her vehicle.

However, videos showing the incidental from antithetic angles bespeak that the cause was not lasting straight successful beforehand of Good’s conveyance erstwhile helium opened occurrence connected her. Local officials contend that Good posed nary information to ICE officers. A video posted by partisan media outlet Alpha News showed Good talking to agents earlier the shooting, saying “I’m not huffy astatine you.”

The shooting has sparked large protests and accusations from section officials that the beingness of ICE has been disruptive and escalated violence. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frye condemned ICE, telling agents to “get the f—out of our city.”

The incidental successful crook has enactment a harsher spotlight connected Smith, raising questions connected whether helium was reckless oregon irresponsible successful offering his views connected Good’s shooting erstwhile helium had nary nonstop cognition of what had transpired.

An angered Smith appeared connected his “Straight Shooter” amusement connected YouTube connected Friday, saying the afloat discourse of his comments had not been conveyed successful media reports, specifically calling retired the New York Post and media property Keith Olbermann, portion saying that radical were trying to get him fired.

He besides doubled down connected his contention that Good provoked the concern which led to her death, saying the ICE cause was successful beforehand of Good’s car, and would person been tally implicit had helium not stepped retired of the way.

“In the infinitesimal erstwhile you are dealing with instrumentality enforcement officials, you obey their orders truthful you tin get location safely,” helium said. “Renee Good did not bash that.”

When reached for remark astir his statements, a typical for Smith said his effect was successful Friday’s show.

It’s not the archetypal clip Smith, who has suggested he’s absorbing successful going into politics, has sparked extracurricular the sports universe. He and writer Joy Reid publically quarreled pursuing her exit past twelvemonth from MSNBC.

He besides faced backlash from Black media personalities and others erstwhile helium accused Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas of utilizing “street verbiage” successful her predominant criticisms of President Trump.

“The mode that Jasmine Crockett choses to explicit herself ... Aren’t you determination to effort and get worldly done alternatively of conscionable being an impediment? ‘I’m conscionable going to spell disconnected astir Trump, cuss him retired each accidental I get, accidental the astir derogatory things imaginable, and that’s my day’s work?’ That ain’t work! Work is, this is the antheral successful power. I cognize what his docket is. Maybe I effort to enactment with this man. I mightiness get thing retired of it for my constituents.’ ”