Trump Administration Officials Blocked Civil Rights Investigation Into Renee Good Shooting
Senior Trump administration officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel, reportedly intervened to prevent federal agents from conducting a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last month. According to an explosive new report, officials feared such a probe would directly contradict President Trump's public statements about the incident.
Immediate Aftermath and False Claims
In the immediate aftermath of the January shooting, President Trump falsely claimed that Good had "violently, willfully, and viciously run over" ICE officer Jonathan Ross. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem echoed this narrative, referring to Good as a "domestic terrorist." These assertions were unsupported by available evidence and contradicted widely circulated video footage of the encounter.
Investigation Thwarted at Multiple Levels
On the day of the shooting, Minnesota-based federal prosecutor Joseph Thompson allegedly sought a warrant to search Good's vehicle for evidence. Thompson told colleagues this would involve the state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in determining whether the shooting was justified or violated the slain mother's civil rights.
However, once FBI agents obtained a warrant to document blood spatter and bullet holes in Good's SUV, they received direct orders to halt their investigation. According to The New York Times, citing anonymous sources, the Justice Department instead encouraged investigators to pursue new warrants for a criminal investigation into whether Good had assaulted ICE agent Jonathan Ross and to probe Good's partner instead.
The civil rights case was never pursued, and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has stated that federal officials blocked them from accessing case files and evidence from the scene.
Resignations and Political Fallout
The Trump administration's handling of the case has triggered a wave of resignations among Minnesota officials. Prosecutors, including Thompson, have resigned en masse from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the state. Additionally, an FBI officer reportedly quit amid pressure to avoid conducting a civil rights investigation into Good's death.
Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed she fired the prosecutors, telling Fox News they had "suddenly decided they didn't want to support the men and women at ICE."
Parallel Case and Policy Reversal
The administration's handling of Good's death, along with the subsequent shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents that same month, has faced widespread criticism. In Pretti's case, federal agents allegedly blocked state investigators with warrants from accessing the crime scene.
Under mounting pressure following both shootings, the Trump administration reversed course and launched a federal civil rights investigation into Pretti's death, led by the Justice Department. Previously, Homeland Security had been leading that investigation.
Ongoing Demands for Transparency
Officials continue to press the Trump administration for greater transparency. Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis, has submitted formal demands to the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security for evidence as part of its own local investigation into Good's death.
"I expect the federal government to provide the requested information, documents and physical items to our office," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty stated this month. "The federal government has been clear that they are not conducting an investigation into Renee Good's death. But we are. We require these records as part of our ongoing thorough investigation into her death at the hands of a federal agent, Jonathan Ross."
Congressional Scrutiny
In late January, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee petitioned Attorney General Bondi for records detailing how the Justice Department decided against pursuing a civil rights investigation in Good's case.
"Someone affirmatively ordered federal law enforcement to instead investigate Ms. Good's widow," the lawmakers wrote. "Someone affirmatively ordered line agents to block state prosecutors from accessing key evidence. Someone is now taking the same actions with regard to the killing of another American citizen."
Kevin Flynn, a former U.S. attorney for the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., told the Marshall Project that the Trump administration's conduct represents a "complete aberration" from standard investigative procedures.
