Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has dismissed newly released footage showing the moments leading up to the killing of Renee Nicole Good from the perspective of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who shot her.
Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Frey’s office for comment.
Why It Matters
The fatal shooting of Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis has reignited nationwide debate over federal enforcement tactics and police accountability. The release of a new video, showing the encounter from an ICE agent’s perspective, has drawn strong reactions from city officials and federal authorities.
At the heart of the controversy is whether the agent acted in self-defense—or whether excessive force was used—highlighting a deep partisan divide and raising questions about transparency in law enforcement investigations.
What To Know
On Wednesday, ICE officer Jonathan Ross fatally shot Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis-based immigration activist, poet, and mother, during a traffic stop in a residential neighborhood.
The incident took place as ICE officers were conducting enforcement operations as part of a larger crackdown under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Newly released cellphone footage, first shared by Alpha News, documented a tense confrontation: Good’s vehicle was stopped, and her wife was seen engaging with officers outside the car.
A series of commands was issued, and after Good reversed her vehicle and moved forward, multiple gunshots were fired by an ICE agent.
The DHS on Wednesday characterized what happened as being one of several “violent rioters” attempting to “run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism.”
But Minneapolis Mayor Frey called arguments that the ICE agent acted in self-defense “bulls—.”
He said: “They are already trying to spin this as an act of self-defense. Having seen the video myself, I wanna tell everybody directly, that is bulls—.”
And he did not appear to be convinced by the new clip when he was shown it on ABC‘s ‘World News Tonight,’ by correspondent Whit Johnson in a report that aired Friday.
He said: “He walked away with a hop in his step from the incident. There’s another person that’s dead. He held on his cell phone. I think that speaks for itself.”
DHS maintains that Good “weaponized her vehicle in an attempt to kill or cause bodily harm to federal law enforcement” and that the officer “acted in self-defense.”
Of the new video, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said: “This footage corroborates what DHS has stated all along—that this individual was impeding law enforcement and weaponized her vehicle in an attempt to kill or cause bodily harm to federal law enforcement. The officer was in fear of his own life, the lives of his fellow officers and acted in self-defense.”
Minneapolis officials, including Frey, have disputed the narrative. Surveillance footage reportedly showed Good’s vehicle blocking the road and letting out a passenger prior to the shooting.
ICE sources allege she harassed agents and blocked their vehicles during the operation.
What People Are Saying
Frey said: “I think an investigation could change or affirm my perspective. But we’ve [all got] two eyes, and I can see a person that is trying to leave. I can see an ICE agent that was not run over by a car. That didn’t happen.”
He added in a press conference: “Our ask is to embrace the truth. Our ask is to include the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in this process, because we in Minneapolis want a fair investigation.”
Vice President JD Vance shared the video on X, writing: “Watch this, as hard as it is. Many of you have been told this law enforcement officer wasn’t hit by a car, wasn’t being harassed, and murdered an innocent woman. The reality is that his life was endangered and he fired in self-defense.”
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin of DHS said: “The American people can watch this video with their own eyes and ears and judge for themselves.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reposted the video, saying: “The media smeared an ICE Agent who properly defended himself from being run over by organized leftist protesters who were impeding an active law enforcement operation. The reason trust in the media is at an all-time low is because they intentionally lie to the public to advance the Democrats’ narrative. That’s exactly what they did in this case in Minnesota. More evidence here.”
What Happens Next
The FBI has since taken over the investigation, removing the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from the process, a decision criticized by local officials who argue for an independent review.
Frey and other local leaders have called for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to be reinstated in the probe, arguing that federal exclusivity undermines public confidence. He said in a press conference: “If you got nothing to hide from, then don’t hide from it.”
Community protests have continued in Minneapolis, with activists demanding greater accountability for federal law enforcement. The incident has further polarized national discourse around immigration enforcement and police use of force, and its resolution could have significant legal and political ramifications.
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