I study political violence—particularly how both emerging technologies and mundane tools can be weaponized. For more than a decade, I have analyzed politically motivated vehicle ramming attacks (VRAs) across ideologies and contexts. I am leading a multiyear research grant on the topic, which draws from more than 500 cases worldwide and systematically codes open-source reports, video footage, court documents, and other primary materials. The goal is to identify patterns, distinguish intent from ambiguity, and understand how the tactic spreads.

As a result of this work, I have watched and analyzed an uncomfortable amount of vehicle ramming footage, ranging from the earliest cases during the First Intifada in the late 1980s to the Jan. 1, 2025, New Orleans truck attack that killed 15 people. Based on my experience, I do not believe that Renee Nicole Macklin Good sought to deliberately harm Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 7, 2026, before he fired three shots into her SUV as it moved past him.

I study political violence—particularly how both emerging technologies and mundane tools can be weaponized. For more than a decade, I have analyzed politically motivated vehicle ramming attacks (VRAs) across ideologies and contexts. I am leading a multiyear research grant on the topic, which draws from more than 500 cases worldwide and systematically codes open-source reports, video footage, court documents, and other primary materials. The goal is to identify patterns, distinguish intent from ambiguity, and understand how the tactic spreads.

As a result of this work, I have watched and analyzed an uncomfortable amount of vehicle ramming footage, ranging from the earliest cases during the First Intifada in the late 1980s to the Jan. 1, 2025, New Orleans truck attack that killed 15 people. Based on my experience, I do not believe that Renee Nicole Macklin Good sought to deliberately harm Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 7, 2026, before he fired three shots into her SUV as it moved past him.

I am........

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