MINNEAPOLIS — The family of Renee Good has officially filed two federal civil lawsuits, alleging wrongful death and excessive force, exactly nine months after the 37-year-old was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during a chaotic confrontation in Minneapolis.
The legal action marks a significant escalation in the ongoing controversy surrounding “Operation Metro Surge,” a Trump administration initiative that deployed 3,000 federal immigration agents to the Twin Cities last December following scrutiny over a state fraud scandal. The operation, which drew fierce condemnation from local officials and sparked widespread protests, concluded in February.
The first lawsuit, brought against the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act, seeks to hold the government liable for the actions of its agents. It asserts a broad range of claims, including wrongful death, battery, assault, false imprisonment, emotional distress, and negligence. The second suit targets the specific officer involved, Jonathan Ross, alongside high-level federal officials, including White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Good was killed on Jan. 7 while sitting in the driver’s seat of her SUV. The encounter, which was recorded on cellphone video, shows Good’s partner, Becca Good, standing outside the vehicle, shouting at Ross to remove his face covering. While other officers can be heard ordering Good to exit the car, the footage captures the moment Good turns the steering wheel away from the officer and begins to drive. Seconds later, multiple gunshots ring out before the SUV crashes into a parked vehicle. In a separate video recorded by Ross himself, a male voice is heard uttering “f—ing b—-” just before the collision.
The incident sparked a polarized national debate. Trump administration figures, including President Donald Trump and former Secretary Noem, vociferously defended Ross’s actions, characterizing Good as an “agitator” who attempted to run the officer over. Noem publicly stated that Ross was treated for internal bleeding at a hospital following the incident. However, these claims have been starkly contradicted by witness accounts provided to NBC News at the time, which suggested that Ross was not in the direct path of the vehicle.
The family’s attorney announced the filing on Thursday, aiming to secure justice for a death that has become a symbol of the friction caused by the federal immigration crackdown. The case is further complicated by the broader atmosphere of the time; Good’s death occurred only weeks before another fatal encounter in Minneapolis, where an intensive care nurse named Alex Pretti was also shot and killed by Customs and Border Protection agents.
As the litigation proceeds, the case is expected to center on whether the use of lethal force was a justified reaction to a perceived threat or an unconstitutional escalation of power during the federal surge into Minneapolis.
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