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A Minnesota prosecutor appealed to the public Friday to share any recordings and evidence related to the fatal shooting of Renee Good, as a new video emerged showing the final moments of her encounter with an immigration officer in Minneapolis.
The killing, along with a separate shooting in Portland, Oregon, the following day by Border Patrol agents, has sparked protests across multiple cities and drawn criticism of U.S. immigration enforcement tactics. The Trump administration has defended the officer who shot Good, maintaining he acted in self-defense.
The 47-second video, initially published by Minnesota-based conservative news site Alpha News and later shared by the Department of Homeland Security, shows the incident from the perspective of ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who fired the fatal shots. The footage depicts Ross approaching Good’s vehicle while recording on his cellphone as sirens blare in the background.
In the video, Good can be seen with one hand on the steering wheel and another outside her open driver’s side window, telling the officer, “That’s fine, I’m not mad at you.” Simultaneously, Good’s wife is recording the encounter while walking around the vehicle.
“U.S. citizen, former f—ing veteran,” Good’s wife says from outside the passenger side. “You wanna come at us, you wanna come at us, I say go get yourself some lunch big boy.”
As other officers approach the driver’s side, one commands, “Get out of the car, get out of the f—ing car.” The footage shows Good briefly reversing, then turning the steering wheel toward the passenger side as she drives forward. At this point, Ross, positioned at the front driver’s side, opens fire. The camera becomes unsteady before returning to show Good’s SUV careening away and eventually crashing into parked vehicles.
Federal agencies encourage officers to document potentially confrontational encounters, though policing experts caution that recording on handheld devices can compromise officer safety by occupying hands and narrowing focus during critical moments. Questions remain about whether the officers were wearing body cameras, as required by ICE policy for enforcement activities.
Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin both posted on X that the new video confirms their assertion that the officer fired in self-defense. “Many of you have been told this law enforcement officer wasn’t hit by a car, wasn’t being harassed, and murdered an innocent woman,” Vance stated. “The reality is that his life was endangered and he fired in self defense.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has dismissed the self-defense argument as “garbage.”
Policing experts questioned the officer’s training rather than the use of force itself. “Now that we can see he’s holding a gun in one hand and a cellphone in the other filming, I want to see the officer training that permits that,” said Geoff Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina.
John P. Gross, a University of Wisconsin Law School professor who specializes in cases involving officers shooting at moving vehicles, noted, “If you are an officer who views this woman as a threat, you don’t have one hand on a cellphone. You don’t walk around this supposed weapon, casually filming.”
Ross, 43, is an Iraq War veteran with nearly two decades of service in the Border Patrol and ICE. He was injured last year when dragged by a driver fleeing an immigration arrest.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty expressed concern over the Trump administration’s decision to exclude state and local agencies from the investigation. She contradicted Vance’s claim that the officer has complete legal immunity, stating, “We do have jurisdiction to make this decision with what happened in this case. It does not matter that it was a federal law enforcement agent.”
Moriarty announced plans to create a portal for the public to submit footage of the shooting, though she acknowledged uncertainty about potential legal outcomes.
Becca Good, Renee’s wife, released a statement to Minnesota Public Radio saying, “kindness radiated out of her.” She added, “On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns. I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him.”
The shooting triggered immediate protests in Minneapolis, where police killed George Floyd in 2020. The local school district canceled classes for the remainder of the week and offered an online option through February 12. Demonstrations continued Friday outside federal facilities and hotels where immigration agents were reportedly staying.
The Portland shooting occurred Thursday outside a hospital, where a federal border officer shot and wounded two Venezuelan nationals identified as Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras. DHS defended its officers, claiming the driver tried to “weaponize” his vehicle to hit them.
These incidents occurred during what Homeland Security called its largest-ever immigration enforcement operation, with more than 2,000 officers participating and over 1,500 arrests made so far in the Twin Cities. The operation represents a strategic shift, with officers being redirected from Louisiana sweeps to Minneapolis.
Good’s death—at least the fifth tied to immigration sweeps since President Donald Trump took office—has sparked nationwide concern, with more protests planned for the weekend.
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9 Comments
This is a very concerning incident. I hope the authorities conduct a thorough and impartial investigation to determine exactly what happened and whether the officer’s actions were justified. Transparency is key in these sensitive situations.
The video raises more questions than answers. While the officer’s actions may have been within the law, the loss of life is always tragic. I hope the investigation is thorough and transparent, so the public can understand what happened and whether changes to policies or procedures are warranted.
Immigration enforcement is a complex and contentious issue. While the officer’s actions may have been within the law, the loss of life is always tragic. Hopefully this incident leads to constructive dialogue about improving policies and procedures to prevent such outcomes.
This is a sensitive and polarizing issue. My hope is that the investigation will be conducted fairly, without bias, to determine the facts and whether the officer’s actions were justified based on the circumstances. Emotions are understandable, but we need to let the evidence guide us.
Well said. It’s important to avoid knee-jerk reactions and instead focus on uncovering the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. Balanced analysis rather than political posturing is what’s needed here.
As an observer, I’m hesitant to form an opinion without seeing the full context. I hope the authorities are transparent in their investigation and share all relevant information with the public. These types of incidents erode trust, so rebuilding that should be a priority.
I agree, transparency is crucial. Rushing to judgment before all the facts are known is unwise. The public deserves a thorough, impartial accounting of what transpired.
This is a complex and sensitive issue. I appreciate the authorities releasing the video footage, as transparency is crucial. However, I withhold judgment until the full facts are known. Emotions are understandable, but we need to let the evidence guide us to a fair and impartial conclusion.
The new video certainly raises more questions than answers. It’s important to see all the evidence and hear from multiple perspectives before drawing conclusions. Emotions are running high, but we need to let the facts guide us here.