By Emmanuel Bobby
Federal authorities are investigating the partner of Renee Nicole Good to determine whether she may have interfered with a federal officer moments before Good was shot and killed during an immigration operation in Minneapolis, according to two people familiar with the investigation.
The inquiry into the fatal shooting by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Jonathan Ross has increasingly centered on Becca Good, including questions about her actions at the scene and her alleged connections to activist groups. At the same time, officials have placed less emphasis on Ross’ conduct when he fired into Renee Good’s vehicle last week, the sources said.
The shooting has sparked days of protests in Minneapolis and renewed demands for accountability surrounding immigration enforcement tactics, which have been linked to at least 10 other shootings nationwide since September.
Becca Good’s attorney, Antonio Romanucci, said Saturday that his client has not been contacted by the FBI or any federal agency and has not been informed that she is under investigation.
In a related development, the Justice Department is also examining whether Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey obstructed federal immigration enforcement through public statements critical of ICE operations. A senior law enforcement official and another person familiar with the matter said investigators are exploring a theory that the officials conspired to impede federal agents. Both Walz and Frey, Democrats, have dismissed the inquiry as politically motivated, with Frey saying he would not be intimidated.
“The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her,” Walz said.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the investigation into Becca Good and did not respond to questions about Walz and Frey.
FBI Director Kash Patel said agents were operating in Minneapolis to investigate what he described as violent unrest and alleged funding networks supporting criminal activity, adding that multiple arrests had already been made.
The investigations follow a December memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi that elevated the department’s focus on what it labeled “domestic terrorism.” The memo directed prosecutors to pursue investigations into groups with anti-fascist ideologies that, according to the document, justify violence to combat perceived fascism. It outlined a range of federal statutes that could be used against individuals described as “culpable actors,” including those accused of inspiring or supporting violence.
People familiar with the case said the investigation into Becca Good is centered on a federal statute concerning the assaulting, resisting or impeding of federal officers.
President Donald Trump last week referred to Renee and Becca Good as “professional agitators,” without offering evidence. Shortly after the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem characterized Renee Good’s actions as “domestic terrorism.”
At the same time, the Justice Department has pulled back from prior efforts focused on policing accountability, including closing several civil rights investigations into police departments, among them the Minneapolis Police Department following the killing of George Floyd.
The handling of the Good shooting has caused internal upheaval within the Justice Department. Six federal prosecutors in Minneapolis resigned this week, citing concerns about the direction of the investigation. One of those prosecutors, Joe Thompson, had been leading a fraud probe that was cited as part of the justification for the increased immigration enforcement presence in the city.
David Kelley, a former federal prosecutor in Minnesota who did not resign, called the departures unprecedented.
“When career prosecutors feel compelled to resign because they are being asked to act against their conscience, that is a deeply troubling moment for the justice system,” Kelley said.
Video footage from the incident shows a chaotic scene, with car horns blaring, sirens sounding and protesters blowing whistles. Ross is seen approaching the front of Renee Good’s vehicle as she tells him she is not angry. Another officer orders her to exit the SUV. As Ross moves toward the front of the vehicle, Becca Good appears to tell her partner to drive. Renee Good turns the steering wheel away from the officer and begins to move forward. Ross can be heard shouting before firing multiple shots. A male voice later utters a profanity.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said this week that there is currently no basis for a civil rights investigation into Ross. Federal officials have said the Department of Homeland Security is conducting internal reviews, though Minneapolis officials have questioned the credibility of those inquiries, particularly after Noem publicly stated that the officer acted in accordance with his training.
“This vehicle was used to strike an officer,” Noem said a day after the shooting. “It was used as a weapon, and the officer believed his life was in danger.”
Legal experts and former officials have expressed concern about the direction of the investigation. Sam Trepel, a former Civil Rights Division attorney now with the States United Democracy Center, said the absence of a robust civil rights inquiry risks deepening mistrust in the community.
“A credible, independent investigation is essential to restoring confidence,” she said. “The Civil Rights Division has historically played that role, and its absence here is alarming.”
Former Justice Department domestic terrorism coordinator Thomas Brzozowski warned that applying the term “domestic terrorism” outside its statutory framework is dangerous and could justify overly broad investigations.
Under current directives, he said, authorities could pursue sweeping probes into people connected to the victim, including those who may have offered protest-related training or support.
Local officials say they have been sidelined in the federal investigation. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said she is pursuing her own parallel review and has created an online portal for the public to submit videos and evidence. She is also seeking reports from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which briefly responded to the scene.
“Our goal is transparency and accountability,” Moriarty said. “The community needs to know that this incident is being examined thoroughly and independently.”
Kyle Seraphin, a former FBI agent who has criticized past Justice Department investigations, said labeling Renee Good a domestic terrorist was wrong, even if some may view the shooting as legally justified.
“She was a human being with a family,” Seraphin said. “We don’t have to agree politically to recognize the tragedy of a mother no longer being able to raise her children.”
Clarification: Renee and Becca Good were partners but were not legally married, according to a spokesperson for their attorney. Becca Good previously referred to Renee Good as her wife in an earlier public statement.
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