Renee Good shooting: 2 civil lawsuits filed in fatal Minneapolis shooting by ICE officer
Where MN investigations into ICE shootings stand
FOX 9 Investigator Paul Blume looks into where Minnesota's criminal investigations into three ICE shootings stand.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The family of Renee Good, the Minneapolis woman fatally shot by an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officer during Operation Metro Surge in January, are suing the United States government, ICE agents and other officials in connection with her death.
Civil lawsuits filed in Renee Good's death
What we know:
Attorneys from Chicago-based law firm Romanucci & Blandin and Minneapolis-based Riach Law filed two civil lawsuits Thursday on behalf of Good's family.
The lawsuits allege that ICE agent Jonathan Ross and other federal agents unlawfully stopped and detained Renee Good, used excessive and unjustified deadly force by shooting her three times, failed to provide or allow others to provide timely medical aid, and participated in a broader conspiracy involving racial profiling and unconstitutional enforcement practices during Operation Metro Surge. The complaint also asserts wrongful death, negligence, and emotional distress.
Renee Good shooting
The backstory:
On Jan. 7, ICE officer Jonathan Ross fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good as she sat in the driver's seat of the Honda Pilot in south Minneapolis.
ICE said Ross was defending himself when he fatally shot Good. This claim led to intense debate, with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey calling the narrative "bullshit."
Timeline:
The shooting happened around 9:30 a.m. in the area of East 34th Street and Portland Avenue.
Footage shows agents approaching Good's SUV, with one agent's hand on the door handle and another reaching inside the car. The agent at the front left corner of the SUV fired the shots. Protesters at the scene were recording as tensions escalated between the agents and the woman.
READ MORE: Video shows Minneapolis ICE shooting that left woman dead
Witnesses told FOX 9, a woman got into a red vehicle and there was one ICE agent on either side of the vehicle trying to get in, and a third ICE agent came and tried to yank on the driver's side door. One of the agents on the driver's side door backed away, and then opened fire, shooting three times through the driver's side window, witnesses said. One witness said the vehicle wasn't moving toward the agents.
However, federal officials said ICE officers were "conducting targeted operations" when "rioters" blocked officers. One of the "rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them." Officials said an ICE officer who was "fearing for his life" fired "defensive shots" to save himself and his officers, killing the woman.
READ MORE: Renee Good’s partner asks judge to return SUV held after fatal ICE shooting
What's next:
No charges have been filed in connection with Good's death. There has been an ongoing legal battle for access to evidence in the case.
The Source: Attorneys from Romanucci & Blandin, LLC and Riach Law held a press conference on Thursday, Oct. 1. FOX 9 has reviewed the lawsuits. Additional information in this story comes from local, state and federal officials and previous FOX 9 reporting.