Key Takeaways
- A cellphone video shows the moments leading up to the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an on-duty Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis.
- The video, shared by the White House’s official Rapid Response X account, appears to show Good saying "I’m not mad at you" seconds before she is shot.
- The ICE agent, Jonathan E Ross, has been identified as the one who killed Good, and he claims he was in fear of his life.
- The incident has sparked protests and sharp rebukes from Minnesota officials and residents, with some congressional Democrats threatening to withhold funding to the Department of Homeland Security.
- The Trump administration has been accused of dishonestly covering the circumstances of Good’s killing, with some officials seeking to portray her as engaging in "domestic terrorism" without evidence.
Introduction to the Incident
The fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an on-duty ICE agent in Minneapolis has sparked widespread outrage and controversy. A cellphone video shared by the White House’s official Rapid Response X account appears to show the moments leading up to the shooting, with Good saying "I’m not mad at you" seconds before she is shot. The video, which was first posted by the partisan media outlet Alpha News, has been shared widely on social media and has sparked a heated debate about the circumstances of Good’s killing.
The Cellphone Video
The video, which is 47 seconds long, shows the perspective of the ICE agent who shot Good. It appears to show Good being approached by the agent while she is in the driver’s seat of a maroon Honda Pilot stopped across a roadway. Good can be heard saying "That’s fine, dude" and "I’m not mad at you" as the agent walks in front of her car and past her open window. The agent’s reflection then becomes visible on the side of the car, and another person’s voice can be heard saying "Hey – show your face, big boy." This person is believed to be Good’s wife, Rebecca Good, who is then seen holding her own cellphone and saying "We don’t change our plates every morning, just so you know. It will be the same plate when you come talk to us later."
The Shooting
As the video continues, the agent filming the video walks in front of Good’s car again, and another masked officer can be seen approaching the driver’s side of the SUV. The agent says "Get out of the car. Out of the car. Get out of the fucking car. Get out of the car." Good briefly backs up and drives forward while turning to her right, and the agent’s phone then abruptly points skyward as he says "Whoa!" Gunshots then erupt, and a voice says "Fucking bitch" as Good’s car drives away. A loud crash is then heard, and a dog can be seen in the back seat of Good’s SUV during the video.
The Aftermath
The ICE agent who killed Good, Jonathan E Ross, has been identified as a 10-year veteran of the special response team of ICE’s enforcement and removal operation. Ross was taking part in an immigration sweep in Minneapolis at the time of the shooting, and he claims he was in fear of his life. However, some major law enforcement agencies in the US restrict officers from firing at cars coming towards them if the drivers or passengers aren’t wielding a second form of force, such as by aiming a gun at them. The purpose of such a restriction is to limit the risk of uninvolved bystanders, vehicles, or buildings being struck by cars whose drivers are shot.
Reactions to the Shooting
The shooting has sparked sharp rebukes from Minnesota officials and residents, with some congressional Democrats threatening to withhold funding to the Department of Homeland Security. The Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey, told ICE to "get the fuck out of" the city, where a police officer murdered George Floyd in plain view of a cellphone camera five years earlier, igniting worldwide protests. Protests near the site of Good’s killing have drawn thousands, and Rebecca Good has published a statement saying that her wife was a Christian who knew that all religions teach the same essential truth: we are here to love each other, care for each other, and keep each other safe and whole.
The Trump Administration’s Response
The Trump administration has been accused of dishonestly covering the circumstances of Good’s killing, with some officials seeking to portray her as engaging in "domestic terrorism" without evidence. JD Vance, a Trump supporter, shared the video on X and wrote that the ICE agent’s life was endangered and he fired in self-defense. However, many have questioned the official narrative of the shooting, and the incident has sparked a heated debate about police brutality and the use of force by law enforcement officers. As the investigation into the shooting continues, it remains to be seen how the incident will be remembered and what impact it will have on the national conversation about policing and immigration.