ICE SHOOTING

[badgervike]

I agree Jimmy.  In this case, according to DHS, they served a warrant and were looking for two convicted sex offenders (who were relatives and either had moved out or were on the run).  The man who was detained matched the description for one of the sex offenders.  He refused to submit to facial recognition or fingerprints to prove he wasn't the sex offender.  In a hyper charged environment with protesters outside and irate people inside, DHS detained the man and drove him around until they could ascertain his identify.  

Could it have been done a different way?  Absolutely.  Do both sides bear some responsibility?  Yep.

[purplefaithful]

I'm not convinced (yet) both sides bear equal responsibility here...

Based on reports surrounding the January 2026 incident in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents stated they detained 56-year-old ChongLy "Scott" Thao because he matched the physical description of two convicted sex offenders they were seeking.

“The U.S. citizen lives with these two convicted sex offenders at the site of the operation,” DHS said. “The individual refused to be fingerprinted or facially ID’d. He matched the description of the targets.”

FWIW, I have seen pix of Thao vs the 2 sex offenders on the run...They are about 40 years apart and dont look at all like each other. 

The family said in a statement that it “categorically disputes” the DHS account and “strongly objects to DHS’s attempt to publicly justify this conduct with false and misleading claims.”

Thao told the AP that only he, his son and daughter-in-law and his grandson live at the rental home. Neither they nor the property's owner are listed in the Minnesota sex offender registry. The nearest sex offender listed as living in the zip code is more than two blocks away.

The family said they are particularly upset by ChongLy Thao’s treatment at the hands of the U.S. government because his mother had to flee to the U.S. from Laos when communists took over in the 1970s, since she had supported American covert operations in the country and her life was in danger.

Thao's adopted mother, Choua Thao, was a nurse who treated CIA-backed Hmong soldiers in the U.S. government's “Secret War” from 1961 to 1975 against the communists, according to the Hmong Nurses Association website.

ChongLy Thao says he's planning to file a civil rights lawsuit against DHS and no longer feels secure to sleep in his home.

“I don't feel safe at all,” Thao said. “What did I do wrong? I didn't do anything.”

Sadly, at a macro level, all of this is straining whatever good will local LEO has worked hard to re-build with local residents. Not just this incident, but the surge in general. 

[purplefaithful]

Rogan is spot on...

It is complicated and it's not black/white, right/wrong...

[JimmyinSD]

I'm curious,   when ICE was running raids under Obama,   and deporting more illegals,   putting kids in cages,  where were the camera crews,  the 24-7 coverage, the public outrage?  Were the liberals impeding their operations and ratcheting up tensions?  Liberal mayors talking shit?  It was the same guy running the show back then as it is now,   I doubt Homan has become to soulless heartless nazi commander because of who is in office so what's different this time?  Maybe its the way its being portrayed and not the work being done.

[purplefaithful]

I think when even conservative stalwarts like Rogan are questioning the how, it begs for some level of reflection going forward.

Some Americans will do that, others wont. I suspect most wont..

Social media is also a big difference in how the world operates + the american political ethos is much more polarized (I believe) than it was back in Obama era. It goes back to 2016, Russia stuff, turbo-charged with Covid, 2020 election denialism, Jan 6th etc...The temp is just much hotter these days.

Just my dumb opinion...

[badgervike]

I think when even conservative stalwarts like Rogan are questioning the how, it begs for some level of reflection going forward. 

Some Americans will do that, others wont. I suspect most wont..

Social media is also a big difference in how the world operates + the american political ethos is much more polarized (I believe) than it was back in Obama era. It goes back to 2016, Russia stuff, turbo-charged with Covid, 2020 election denialism, Jan 6th etc...The temp is just much hotter these days.

Just my dumb opinion...

Joe Rogan a Conservative Stalwart?  You obviously dont listen to him. His show is so damn long..it's tough to find the time.He was a big Bernie backer in 2020.  He's said many times he's a Democrat at heart but considers himself politically homeless these days.  He grew up to hippie parents in San Francisco in the Vietnam era.  He endorsed Trump at the last moment.

https://www.whiskeyriff.com/2024/10/31/j...e-shifted/

[JimmyinSD]

I think when even conservative stalwarts like Rogan are questioning the how, it begs for some level of reflection going forward. 

Some Americans will do that, others wont. I suspect most wont..

Social media is also a big difference in how the world operates + the american political ethos is much more polarized (I believe) than it was back in Obama era. It goes back to 2016, Russia stuff, turbo-charged with Covid, 2020 election denialism, Jan 6th etc...The temp is just much hotter these days.

Just my dumb opinion...

Seeing the light on the covid lies and other liberal scams hardly makes him a conservative.   He still has a fair bit of blue in him,  despite what the leftist media wanted people to believe when he went outside the circle of trust.

Honestly its one of the things I like about him, I dont get a slanted view on most things. I dont always like or agree with what he says, but that makes me trust him more than any convention media sources for either side.

[JimmyinSD]

Joe Rogan a Conservative Stalwart?  You obviously dont listen to him.  His show is so damn long..it's tough to find the time.He was a big Bernie backer in 2020.  He's said many times he's a Democrat at heart but considers himself politically homeless these days.  He grew up to hippie parents in San Francisco in the Cietnam era.  He endorsed Trump at the last moment.

https://www.whiskeyriff.com/2024/10/31/j...e-shifted/

I enjoy the longer pod casts,  plenty of time to get deeper into topics than just the cliff notes.  His interview with Michio Kaku was one of my favorite episodes.

[badgervike]

I enjoy the longer pod casts,  plenty of time to get deeper into topics than just the cliff notes.  His interview with Michio Kaku was one of my favorite episodes.

Yea...I enjoy Rogan a lot.  Like you said, he's a free thinker and interesting guy.  I don't agree with him all the time but at least he isn't bound by the nonsensical tribal politics.  That 3 1/2 hours is tough for me to block out the time.  I don't have as much windshield time as you do.  I usually listen on the way to the lake and back.  I listen to Maher as well.  Both are fundamentally liberal guys who will escape the tribal reservations and call both sides out.  Sometimes I agree with them...sometimes I don't...but that's the way it should be.  We should be able to have thoughtful discussions, disagreements without the over the top hyperbole.

[purplefaithful]

I am not condoning interrupting a religious service of any kind.

But the White House inventing reality? That I might be a little bit against.
-----------------------------------

The White House posted a digitally altered photo of Minneapolis civil rights activist Nekima Levy Armstrong that depicts her crying as she’s arrested by federal agents in connection with the demonstration at a church service on Jan. 18.

In a previous version of the image posted by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Levy Armstrong is composed, with a calm face as she’s led away by a law enforcement officer.

Asked about the altered photo, the White House directed the Minnesota Star Tribune to a post on X from Kaelan Dorr, deputy communications director. “Enforcement of the law will continue. The memes will continue. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” the post says.

The NYT independently analyzed the photo through an AI detection system, which concluded that the first photo posted by Noem is real and the version posted by the White House appears to have been manipulated.