Investigating the Justification of the Minneapolis ICE Shooting

Tue Jan 13 2026 10:03:29 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The recent shooting of a woman by an ICE agent in Minneapolis raises complex questions about justifying the use of deadly force. Investigators will assess conflicting accounts and video footage as protests erupt nationwide.

The fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis has sparked debates over the justification of deadly force and ignited protests. Diverging narratives from federal and state officials complicate the investigation as they evaluate video evidence and the context surrounding the incident. Experts underline the influence of political statements on the investigation's outcome.

US investigators will face a host of thorny questions in determining whether the fatal shooting of a woman by a federal agent in Minneapolis last week was justified, as local and national officials recount drastically different accounts of an incident that sparked nationwide protests.

Several videos have emerged showing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross firing at and killing Renee Good, 37, while she was behind the wheel of her burgundy Honda in a residential neighbourhood of the northern city.

President Donald Trump and his administration have described Good as a domestic terrorist who was trying to run over the ICE agent, while state officials have said Good, a mother of three, was trying to leave the scene.

Former law enforcement officials told the BBC that a review of the incident could plausibly find the agent was justified in using deadly force because he believed Good was a threat.

But they said Trump officials' strong public statements in support of Ross in the immediate aftermath of the shooting could complicate the investigation.

When you have that much command and influence of everyone saying (the shooting) is already justified before the facts are in... I think that's where you have problems, former FBI special agent Robert D'Amico said.

Officials cite video footage

Local and federal officials have both cited video footage of the incident to support their interpretations of the event.

Multiple angles show ICE agents approaching a car in the middle of the street and asking the driver - Good - to get out. One of the agents then tugs at the driver's side door handle.

As the vehicle begins to move forward, an agent stood in front of the car - Ross, who was also filming - points and shoots at Good. The car turns away from the officers and crashes on the side of the road.

Local and state officials say the videos demonstrate that Good was not a threat as she was turning away from the agent.

Federal officials, meanwhile, say the videos are evidence that Good was trying to drive her car into the officer and that his only choice was to use deadly force.

Investigators will have to compare Ross's actions in the videos to the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) policy on the use of deadly force.