Newly released first-person footage from the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis mother by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent has intensified disputes over whether the killing was justified, with local officials flatly rejecting federal claims of self-defence.
The 48-second video, exclusively obtained by Alpha News, shows ICE agent Jonathan Ross’s perspective during Wednesday morning’s confrontation with 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good on Portland Avenue. The footage has become central evidence in what Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called a ‘reckless use of power’ by federal authorities.
What the Footage Shows
The video begins with Ross exiting his vehicle and approaching Good’s burgundy Honda Pilot, which was parked perpendicularly across the street during what officials called the largest immigration enforcement operation in Twin Cities history.
As Ross filmed Good’s licence plate with his mobile phone, Good can be heard saying calmly: ‘That’s fine, dude. I’m not mad at you.’ Her wife, Becca, stood nearby filming the agents. ‘We don’t change our plates every morning, just so you know,’ she told Ross. ‘You wanna come at us? I say go get yourself some lunch, big boy.’
The situation escalated when other masked agents approached screaming: ‘Get out of the car! Get out of the f—ing car!’ The footage shows the Honda Pilot beginning to reverse as Becca Good attempted to enter the passenger side. As the vehicle then turned its wheels and began accelerating forward, the camera suddenly panned toward the sky. Three distinct gunshots rang out, followed by a grunt from the agent. The SUV sped away and crashed into a parked car seconds later. Good died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head.
Federal vs Local Accounts Clash
The Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Kristi Noem have characterised the shooting as self-defence against ‘domestic terrorism’, alleging Good attempted to ram agents with her vehicle. Vice President JD Vance defended Ross’s actions, noting the agent had been ‘nearly killed’ and dragged by a fleeing driver in Bloomington six months earlier.
‘You think maybe he’s a little bit sensitive about somebody ramming him?’ Vance asked during a White House briefing.
Minneapolis officials have rejected this narrative entirely. Mayor Frey labelled the self-defence claim ‘garbage’ and ‘bull****’ after reviewing the footage. ‘Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bullshit,’ Frey said. ‘To ICE, get the fuck out of Minneapolis.’
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the killing ‘the consequences of governance designed to generate fear, headlines and conflict’, adding: ‘We do not need any further help from the federal government.’
Public Reaction Deeply Divided
The footage has sparked intense debate on social media. Some defended the agent’s actions, with one commenter writing: ‘Very simple solution to this problem, don’t try to run somebody over with your car and you live.’
Others questioned the shooting’s justification. ‘He positioned himself in front of the car after hearing his colleague telling her to get out of the car,’ one person noted. ‘He voluntarily used his body to block the car, putting himself in harms way.’ Another wrote: ‘It’s LITERALLY in their policy to NOT put themselves in a position to get hit by a car.’
Some critics have referenced the 2008 Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Kirby v. Duva, which held that ‘where a police officer unreasonably places himself in harm’s way, his use of deadly force may be deemed excessive.’
Who Was Renee Good?
Good was a Minneapolis resident, writer and poet originally from Colorado Springs. She lived with her wife Becca and their six-year-old child just blocks from where she died. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed Good was not a target of the federal operation.
Becca Good said that she and her wife ‘stopped to support our neighbours’ on the morning of 7th January. ‘We had whistles. They had guns,’ she said. She described Renee as someone who ‘sparkled’ and ‘was made of sunshine’.
Investigation Complications
The FBI and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension initially agreed to conduct a joint investigation. However, the FBI subsequently revoked the BCA’s access to evidence. Minnesota’s Public Safety Commissioner said it would be ‘extremely difficult, if not impossible’ for a local investigation to continue without federal cooperation.
No medical aid was provided to Good for approximately 15 minutes after the shooting. When first responders arrived, their vehicles couldn’t access the site because of ICE vehicles blocking the road.
Good’s death marks the ninth time ICE agents have opened fire on people since September 2025, with four others killed during federal deportation operations. The Department of Homeland Security announced Operation Metro Surge on 6th January as the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out, bringing over 2,000 agents to the Twin Cities.
The shooting occurred less than a mile from where George Floyd was killed in May 2020, adding historical weight to concerns about use of force.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
