Renee Good’s family is accusing federal immigration officers of killing the Minneapolis mother as she attempted to follow agents’ instructions, announcing on Wednesday that they have hired the same law firm that represented George Floyd's family to seek answers and accountability.
The family expressed their wishes for Good, 37, to be remembered as 'an agent of peace' and requested that the public refrain from politicizing her death, according to the Chicago-based firm Romanucci & Blandin. They indicated an intent to release findings from their independent investigation in the coming weeks.
This announcement coincides with the Justice Department's statement that there is no basis for a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting, although an FBI probe into Renee Good's death is currently ongoing.
The Trump administration has defended the actions of the ICE officer, asserting that he fired in self-defense when Good’s vehicle began to move forward. However, this explanation has faced criticism from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, along with public scrutiny based on video footage of the incident.
Amidst the turmoil, a wave of resignations swept through approximately half a dozen federal prosecutors in Minnesota, alongside several supervisors from the Civil Rights Division in Washington.
Romanucci & Blandin emphasized the family's desire to gain clarity on the federal operation that occurred on January 7 in the neighborhood where Good was killed, as well as the officers’ actions and delays in administering medical help following the shooting. The identity of the ICE agent who fired has remained undisclosed.
Good’s spouse, Becca Good, described that they had just dropped off their six-year-old child at school and paused to observe law enforcement activity when approached by officers. According to the attorneys, Good appeared to have reversed and redirected her vehicle away from an agent prior to the shooting, although no official account has been disclosed.
‘What happened to Renee is wrong,’ the firm stated, asserting their commitment to share updates regularly as they believe the community is not receiving sufficient information from official sources. The firm, which successfully secured a $27 million settlement for Floyd’s family, is now representing Becca Good alongside Renee Good's parents and siblings.
In a statement, Becca Good told Minnesota Public Radio that they had stopped to show support for neighbors during the operation: ‘We had whistles. They had guns.’ Becca Good and her family have not yet responded to inquiries from The Associated Press, and her prior statement focused solely on memorializing her wife.
