by Miriam Raftery | April 21, 2026 6:57 pm
Ex-Sheriff Commander Dave Myers speaks out on killings of U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minnesota, threats to due process and return of controversial Border Patrol leader Bovino to San Diego region
Hear our interview, originally aired on KNSJ radio
February 1, 2026 (La Mesa) – ECM interviewed retired San Diego County Sheriff’s Commander Dave Myers on recent controversial actions by ICE and Border Patrol agents, including the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two U.S. citizens in Minnesota. Myers’ training included investigating shootings and use of force. He also started a Border Crimes Suppression Union. The interview originally aired on KNSJ Radio on January 31.
“If there is a major use of force by on-duty law enforcement, the industry standard is transparency and accountability, and at least giving the appearance that the agency investigating this is presenting facts,” he said. “Historically, in 35 years in law enforcement, I’ve never seen a post-incident where the leaders of an agency immediately draw conclusions, make statements about what happened when the scene has not even been investigated by anybody, and where conclusions immediately draw attention to labeling people as domestic terrorists, or labeling people as the aggressors, the offenders.”
He noted that cameras including officers body-worn cameras show “the truth” about these incidents, indicating that the officers did not have a reasonable fear of imminent harm. It is illegal to shoot someone for merely observing a protest or legally carrying a gun, for instance.
An example of reasonable fear occurred in his own law enforcement career, when a suspect held a gun to Myers’ head. On another occasion, a person pointed a gun, but officers took cover and worked to deescalate the situation.
Nothing like that occurred in the Minnesota shootings, yet Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called Pretti’s actions “domestic terrorism” and White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller falsely claimed Pretty was a “would be assassin” who was “brandishing a gun.” Video showed Pretti holding a cell phone taking videos. He had a lawfully permitted gun that he never took out of the holster, yet officers wrestled him to the ground, took his gun, then shot him nine times after he weas incapacitated on the ground.
Myers said, “It was clear that the federal agents were the ones who created chaos….it was the agents that confronted Pretti who was holding a camera…There was nothing on video, no discussion of him having a gun. He was simply filming from a safe distance across the street.” Myers said fear was created by the federal agents, who showed a clear lack of training.
The National Rifle Association, a normally conservative group, has criticized Noem stating that the mere fact that Pretti had a gun meant agents acted in self defense. The NRA called this “dangerous and wrong,” calling for a full investigation. The NRA denounced Noem for “demonizing law-abiding citizens.”
As of our interview in late January, there have been at least four other fatal shootings by ICE and Border Patrol so far this year.
Myers says videos of the Minnesota killings make it “clear that the narrative put out was false” and that the Trump administration wants the public to believe “lies about what our eyes are seeing.” This “erodes the credibility of every law enforcement officer in this nation. This fuels mistrust of law enforcement, leading to reluctance by witnesses and victims to report crimes, he added.
As for Renee Good, while Myers acknowledges that her vehicle was blocking the road briefly, this was “no justification” for the officer shooting her in the head while she was at the steering wheel. He notes that they walked around her vehicle and gave conflicting commands, and that she never threatened anybody. On video, she is heard stating, “I’m not mad at you,” to the officer just before he shot her in the head and killed her.
“General policy at all agencies I’ve worked at is you don’t shoot into moving vehicles,” said Myers, as this could cause the vehicle to lurch out of control and hurt others. There were no extenuating circumstances in this instance to justify such an extreme action. “the agent has placed himself in harm’s way and then tried to justify it later,” Myers said.
In both cases, bystanders who said they were medical professionals offered to render medical aid to the shooting victims, but federal officers refused to allow them to help. Both victims died at the scene.
Myers criticized the agents for blocking medical aid by bystanders. “In this case, to me, it’s clear that they were trying to cover up what may be seen by a medical professional,” he said.
He also faulted the agent who shot Good for fleeing without even securing the scene.
Criticism of ICE and Border Patrol actions have come from both Democrats and some Republicans. Some Democrats in Congress are calling for Noem’s impeachment. San Diego Democratic Representative Scott Peters is supporting a bill that would rein in ICE actions and require safety protocols. Meanwhile a Republican candidate for Governor in Minnesota has withdrawn from the race and from the GOP, stating, ““I cannot support the national Republican Party’s stated retribution (in Minnesota) and cannot be part of a party that would do so…Those of color are living in fear..*US Citizens are having to carry papers of identification” he said, adding, “That’s wrong.”
The Border Crimes Suppression Team that Myers helped established here dramatically reduced violent crimes along the border he says, noting that after obtaining grant money, the Team found that the majority committing violent border crimes were U.S. citizens—not immigrants. With 60 miles of international border and 90 miles of coastline in San Diego County, the team found that the best way to sharply reduce serious border crimes such as drug smuggling and human trafficking was “not to create fear over a person’s immigration status,” but to work cooperatively with other agencies to eliminate such crimes, regardless of who was committing them.
Killings by federal agents on the streets aren’t the only actions of concern. In Los Angeles, a 21-year-old man was blinded by ICE. Others have reportedly been beaten. There have been deaths including at least one homicide in ICE detention facilities, as well as many people detained in immigrant detention facilities who have no criminal records, including some who are not immigrants.
Asked how concerned he is about the potential for such actions to occur locally, Myers noted that there have already been problems, such as flash bang devices deployed at a North Park restaurant with diners present during an immigration sweep. As for deaths in immigration custody, Myers denounces a “lack of compassion; 70 to 80% of them have no criminal record. We’re still seeing family separations,” he added.
“Who is profiting from the current immigrant policy? It’s the for profit prison industry,” he said, such as the private corporation that runs the Otay detention facility and the old downtown jail housing immigrants, he added.
President Donald Trump has responded to criticisms by removing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and sending Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol officer in charge during the Minnesota killings, back to Imperial and San Diego counties, where he formerly worked. Border Czar Tom Homan has also been accused of wrongdoing, “caught on tape receiving $50,000 in alleged bribery, which was to steer contracts to for profit prison industry,” noted Myers.
Asked what he knows personally about Bovino, and whether local people should be concerned about him returning to our region, Myers stated, “San County needs to be petrified. I’ve had a long, established working relationship with federal officers from Border Patrol to ICE .I still hear from them to this day; they describe Bovino is anti-Semitic , anti-immigrant.”
Myers said some officers have told him they received antisemitic, hateful messages from Bovino “just because they were Jewish” and that he has called immigrants a “cancer on society” that “has to be eliminated.,,,This goes back to 2013; this is who Bovino is.” Yet despite complaints formally filed against him, Bovino was put in charge of Border Patrol operations in Minnesota.
What authority could a local sheriff, police department or California Attorney General Rob Bonta have to hold federal agents accountable if they commit crimes?
While Myers is skeptical whether local or state law enforcement agencies would take action, he adds, “Local law enforcement, I ask you, berg you, if you see a law enforcement agent committing a crime, do something.”
He insists that any local or state law enforcement officer “absolutely” has the authority to take action if they have probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed, even by another law enforcement official. Such a right has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Asked what it will take to bring about change and accountability by ICE and Border Patrol agents, Myers replied, “Courage. What it’s going to take is courage on the part of California peace officers to do their duty, to act, to protect the public…Allowing rogue federal agents to continue erodes public confidence, which will take decades to fix.”
He concluded, “What we are seeing today in my opinion is the erosion of due process. It’s the normalization of government suppression. They’ve come to Minnesota and they’ve killed, as we’ve seen on camera, two Americans. You could be next,” he warned.
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