The family of Renee Good, the 37-year-old mother of three from Minneapolis who was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer, has accused immigration agents of killing her when she tried to comply with their instructions and announced they have retained the same law firm that represented George Floyd’s family to seek answers and accountability. The move comes as President Donald Trump has taken a more conciliatory public tone on the shooting, calling it “sad on both sides.”
Family seeks answers, urges restraint
In a statement released Wednesday, Renee Good’s relatives said they want her to be remembered as an “agent of peace” and urged the public not to turn her death into a political flare.
The family hired the Chicago human rights firm Romanucci & Blandin, which said it was investigating the circumstances of the killing and would release information “in the coming weeks.”
Read also | Minneapolis shooting: ICE agent who shot and killed Renee Good suffered internal bleeding
“What happened to Renee is wrong,” the firm said, adding that it intends to share its findings “on an ongoing basis” because it believes the community is not getting enough information through official channels.
The firm now represents Renee Good’s partner, Becca Good, as well as her parents and siblings.
Federal investigation and internal fallout
The family’s announcement came the same week the U.S. Justice Department said it found no reason to open a federal civil rights investigation. The FBI investigation into the death of Renee Good is still ongoing.
Read also | US Homeland Security says Minnesota has deported hundreds of criminal immigrants
At the same time this week, about half a dozen federal prosecutors in Minnesota resigned, while several supervisors in the criminal division of the Civil Rights Division in Washington submitted resignation notices, according to people familiar with the matter.
Disputed reports of the shooting
The Trump administration has defended the actions of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer involved, saying he fired in self-defense while standing in front of Goode’s vehicle as it began to move forward. That explanation was rejected by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and others who cited video footage of the encounter.
The ICE agent who fired the shot has been identified as Jonathan Ross, an Iraq war veteran who had served as a deportation officer since 2015.
Romanucci & Blandin said the family is trying to clarify why federal officers were in the neighborhood on Jan. 7, how they behaved during the encounter and whether there were any delays in providing medical attention after the shooting.
Events leading to the death of Renee Good
According to her partner and relatives, Renee and Becca Good had just dropped off their six-year-old at school on Jan. 7 and stopped after noticing law enforcement activity in the area. The video shows Renee sitting in a red SUV positioned perpendicular to the road, partially blocking traffic, while repeatedly honking her horn.
Read also | Minnesota: Unverified video shows Renee Nicole Good ‘dancing’ in car before death
Shortly after, a truck with immigration officials arrived. Two officers got out of the vehicle and one ordered Renee Good to open the door. She backed up briefly and then turned the steering wheel to the passenger side as the officer again ordered her to “get out of the car.”
Almost at the same time, Becca Good – standing on the passenger side trying to open the door – can be heard yelling, “Go baby, go!”
The SUV then moved forward and shots were fired as an officer standing in front of the vehicle opened fire.
In a statement to Minnesota Public Radio, Becca Good said the couple stopped to support their neighbors: “We had whistles. They had guns.”
Trump strikes in a more measured tone
In contrast to earlier remarks, President Trump took a distinctly reserved approach when asked about the shooting in an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
“I don’t get into right or wrong. I know it was a difficult situation,” Trump said of the officer. “The police, in this case the ICE officers, were shown very little respect.
“It’s sad to see on both sides,” he added.
Read also | Minnesota: Unverified video shows Renee Nicole Good ‘dancing’ in car before death
The tone marked a shift from Trump’s initial response to Truth Social, where he described Renee Good as a “professional agitator” who “violently, intentionally and maliciously ran over an ICE officer” and said the shooting appeared to be an act of self-defense.
Asked whether he would pardon Ross if he were charged and convicted, Trump declined to speculate.
“I guess we’ll have to see what happens. That was a very unfortunate incident. We’ll see what happens,” he said.
Read also | Protesters in Minneapolis urged a judge to limit ICE’s use of force
A broader crackdown on immigration continues
Trump has confirmed that his administration will continue to deploy ICE officers to US cities, arguing that the strategy is necessary to fight crime, despite violent confrontations associated with a recent surge in enforcement.
ICE data shows that many individuals arrested during the government’s stepped-up immigration crackdown have no criminal charges or prior convictions.
