SALISBURY — Impassioned residents of the Northwest Corner and adjacent regions in Massachusetts and New York took to the Memorial Green Saturday morning, Jan. 10, to protest the recent killing of Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good at the hands of a federal immigration agent.
Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot at close range by an officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE, on Wednesday, Jan. 7. She and her wife were participating in a protest opposing the agency’s presence in a Minneapolis neighborhood at the time of the shooting. The incident sparked protests and vigils nationwide, both in remembrance of Good and in opposition to what demonstrators described as a broader pattern of government overreach.
In Hartford on Thursday evening, Jan. 8, two vehicles that authorities believe were operated by ICE officers drove through a crowd that had gathered in memory of Good. Connecticut Public Radio reported that at least one person had been struck by the vehicles and that police are investigating potential charges.
Demonstrators line Route 44 along the Memorial Green in Salisbury on the morning of Jan. 10 to protest the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.By Alec Linden
In Salisbury, the protest unfolded calmly but with a palpable sense of urgency. Just before noon, roughly 160 demonstrators lined Route 44, holding signs and cheering as passing motorists honked their horns. Organizer Sophia deBoer stood alongside fellow activists Kathy Voldstad, Amy Lake and her husband, Lee deBoer, greeting demonstrators as they arrived. Along with Al Ginouves, the group has organized weekly protests against the Trump administration since April 2025’s nationwide “Hand’s Off” movement.
“It’s time that people stood up to this lawless administration,” Sophia deBoer said as the crowd waved their signs.Local immigrants’ rights advocate John Carter echoed that sentiment. “I need to put my body where my soul is,” he said.
Attendees cited a range of emotions for turning out, from anger and fear to cautious optimism Joan Gardiner said it was “outrage and fear” that brought her to the protest, while Christine Clare said, “Being out here today, this makes me hopeful.”
Calls for justice dominated many of the messages displayed on protesters’ signs. Asked what motivated him to attend, Salisbury resident Louis Tomaino pointed to the words on his sign: “We all saw Renee Good murdered. And we all saw murder excused.”
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Cole Bushnell, 41, of Ashley Falls is arraigned on one count of murder at Southern Berkshire District Court June 2. He is being held without bail.
The victim, identified as 40-year-old Michael Moore of Winsted, worked with Bushnell in the painting industry, and the two had at one point been friends. Moore was found with blunt-force trauma to the skull and small lacerations to his back consistent with a knife wound, according to prosecutors.
Bushnell, who has deep ties to Connecticut, attended North Canaan Elementary School and Housatonic Valley Regional High School. He is the owner of Bushnell Painting LLC, which services Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Prosecutors said Bushnell believed the victim had stolen money from him in connection with a job they were working on together. They also alleged that Bushnell had been exhibiting erratic behavior in the days leading up to the incident and had turned off surveillance cameras at his home, according to statements made by his fiancée.
The investigation began after a witness contacted Connecticut State Police and reported a dead body at 546 Polikoff Road in Ashley Falls, where Bushnell resides. According to prosecutors, Bushnell had shown the witness, who allegedly worked with him, the victim's body inside a greenhouse on the property. The witness then left the residence and contacted law enforcement.
Connecticut State Police notified the Sheffield Police Department, which responded to the property.
Officers located a body at the scene and contacted Massachusetts State Police Detectives Unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office. The Berkshire State Police Detective Unit was notified of the suspected homicide at approximately 1:34 p.m. June 1, authorities said.
Bushnell was not at the residence when law enforcement arrived. Investigators said he returned to the property at approximately 5:23 p.m. and was arrested by members of the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit. He was allegedly wearing clothes stained in a reddish/brown color, consistent with blood.
Bushnell, who prosecutors say has an extensive criminal record in both Connecticut and Massachusetts, is barred from having contact with any witnesses. His next court date is scheduled to take place July 16.
Additional reporting by Madi Long and Nathan Miller (Updated: 5:31 p.m.)
Cole Bushnell, 41, of Ashley Falls is arraigned on one count of murder at Southern Berkshire District Court June 2. He is being held without bail.Madi Long
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A blue SUV remains in a ditch after an early-morning crash along Segar Mountain Road in Kent May 27.
The driver was transported to Danbury Hospital with minor injuries, according to police.
The damage to a utility pole forced crews to shut down parts of the road and reduce traffic to a single lane throughout the day. First Selectman Eric Epstein announced that traffic would be impacted as utility companies make repairs. Motorists were advised to avoid the area until the work is complete.
As of 2 p.m., traffic at the scene was reduced to alternating single lane travel. Employees from Eversource Energy, Aquarion Water Company and the state Department of Transportation were at the site making repairs to the utility pole and wiring. They have yet to provide an estimate for when the repairs will finish.
The car was still in the ditch as of mid-afternoon, officials on the scene said.
In an email to Kent residents, which was sent at approximately 12:40 p.m., Epstein reported that a water line connected to one residence in the area was also damaged, but clarified that it was not the line supplying the town.
Repair crews respond to an early-morning crash along Segar Mountain Road in Kent that damaged a utility pole and water line. Ruth Epstein
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