Renee Good’s Family Hires George Floyd Legal Team/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The family of Renee Good has retained the law firm that represented George Floyd’s relatives to investigate her fatal shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. The legal team alleges she was complying with orders when killed. Federal investigations continue amid public outrage and resignations.
Renee Good Shooting Case Quick Looks
- Renee Good’s family hires Romanucci & Blandin, George Floyd’s former legal team
- Good, a Minneapolis mother of three, was fatally shot by ICE on Jan. 7
- Law firm alleges she was complying with agents’ orders when she was killed
- Justice Department declined civil rights probe, but FBI investigation remains active
- Several federal prosecutors and DOJ supervisors resigned this week amid internal turmoil
- ICE agent identified as Jonathan Ross, a veteran deportation officer
- Video shows chaotic moments before officer opened fire on Good’s SUV
- Law firm says community is being denied transparency and answers
Renee Good’s Family Hires George Floyd Legal Team
Deep Look
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The family of Renee Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother fatally shot by a federal immigration officer, has retained the Chicago-based law firm Romanucci & Blandin to investigate her death. The firm previously represented the family of George Floyd, and their involvement marks a new chapter in the growing outcry surrounding the January 7 shooting.
Good’s relatives, including her partner Becca Good, say Renee was attempting to follow officers’ instructions when she was shot, and are demanding transparency and accountability. In a statement released Wednesday, the family described her as “an agent of peace” and called for her death not to be politicized.
The law firm announced it has begun its own investigation and intends to release findings “on a rolling basis,” citing what it calls a lack of information from authorities. “What happened to Renee is wrong,” the firm said, pledging to bring facts to light in the coming weeks.
The announcement came days after the U.S. Department of Justice said it saw no basis to open a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting. However, an FBI probe remains active.
The legal action coincides with upheaval inside the Justice Department. According to individuals familiar with the matter, roughly six federal prosecutors in Minnesota have resigned, along with several Washington-based supervisors in the Civil Rights Division’s criminal section. The departures suggest growing internal discord over how the case is being handled.
The Shooting and Its Aftermath
The fatal shooting occurred the morning of January 7 in a Minneapolis neighborhood. Good and her partner had just dropped off their 6-year-old child at school and stopped after noticing law enforcement activity nearby. According to Romanucci & Blandin, the couple was attempting to support neighbors, not interfere.
Footage of the incident shows Good in a red SUV positioned across the road, pressing the horn repeatedly. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents soon arrive in a black truck. Two agents exit, one of whom orders Good to open her car door. She briefly reverses before turning the wheel to the right. As the officer again yells, “get out of the car,” Becca Good, who was standing on the passenger side and trying to open the door, shouts, “drive, baby, drive!”
Moments later, as the SUV lurches forward, ICE officer Jonathan Ross fires into the vehicle. Ross, an Iraq War veteran, has worked as a deportation officer since 2015. Federal authorities claim Ross acted in self-defense because he was in front of the moving vehicle. However, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz have cast doubt on that explanation, referencing video footage as inconsistent with ICE’s narrative.
Romanucci & Blandin said the family is particularly concerned about what the federal agents were doing in that neighborhood and why there was a delay in medical assistance after the shooting.
Legal and Political Fallout
Becca Good, Renee’s long-time partner, has referred to her as her wife, although the law firm clarified the two were not legally married but were “committed partners dedicated to their family.” The firm is representing Becca, along with Renee’s parents and siblings.
In a statement to Minnesota Public Radio, Becca said the couple stopped to support their neighbors, not to escalate the situation. “We had whistles. They had guns,” she said.
The incident has reignited scrutiny over the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, especially in Democratic-led cities. The White House has stood by the ICE agent’s actions, stating the officer feared for his life and followed protocol.
The growing public anger has prompted comparisons to other high-profile cases of federal force used in domestic settings. For many, the decision to retain the law firm that secured a $27 million settlement for George Floyd’s family underscores the seriousness with which Renee Good’s loved ones view the case.
Ongoing Investigations and Demands
While the FBI continues to investigate, the family and their attorneys are pressing for answers that go beyond what federal officials have so far disclosed. They say they will scrutinize everything from the agents’ decision-making on the ground to post-shooting procedures and medical response delays.
Romanucci & Blandin stated their investigation aims to hold officials accountable and prevent future incidents of unnecessary use of deadly force by immigration agents.
With pressure mounting on multiple fronts, Renee Good’s case is shaping up to be a significant legal and political test of the Trump-era federal immigration apparatus, carried forward under Trump’s second-term policies.
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