Fact Check: Has FBI decided to open civil rights probe into ICE agent who shot Renee Nicole Good?

ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, 37, in Minneapolis on January 7
An online post claimed that the FBI decided to open civil rights probe into ICE agent who shot Renee Nicole Good (Screengrab/GiveSendGo, @krassenstein/X)
An online post claimed that the FBI decided to open civil rights probe into ICE agent who shot Renee Nicole Good (Screengrab/GiveSendGo, @krassenstein/X)

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed on Sunday, January 18, that a routine review of the conduct of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, Jonathan Ross, who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, is underway. She said Ross has been put on a three-day administrative leave following the shooting.

Recently, a rumor surfaced online claiming that the FBI has decided to open a civil rights probe into Jonathan Ross for the shooting of Renee Good. But is there any truth to this rumor? Let us ascertain the claim.

Claim: FBI to open civil rights probe into Jonathan Ross

Chief White House Correspondent for The New York Times and MS NOW analyst, Peter Baker, shared a post on X that read, "An FBI agent conducted an initial review of the Renee Good killing and determined sufficient grounds existed to open a civil rights probe into the actions of the ICE officer who shot her. Justice Department says no investigation is warranted. @PerryStein."



He also linked an article from the Washington Post with the headline, 'FBI opened probe on Minneapolis shooting; none exists now, Justice dept says'. The rumor was further spread across X by other users.



An X user shared Baker's post and wrote, "Statute of limitations will never run out on this. Eventually, he will be held accountable."

Fact check: FBI debunks viral post on Jonathan Ross

The online claims on social media are false, as the FBI said in a post that the decisions referenced by Baker were not made by the FBI. 

The FBI shared the X post and wrote, "This is false - the decisions referenced here were not made by the FBI. The FBI still continues to pursue evidence in this case with our federal partners, investigating the shooting incident as well as the ongoing violent criminal actors and their funding sources."

"The facts are the initiator, and the facts do not support civil rights investigation," the FBI added.



During an interview with CBS News' 'Face the Nation', Kristi Noem said that Jonathan Ross underwent the 'exact same' investigative and review process that has been in place for years within the agency.

She referred to the Biden administration and said, "The exact same policy that the Biden administration used, the exact same review, so we haven’t changed any of that."

Further in the interview, she mentioned, "Every law enforcement officer knows that when they take the oath to step up and to protect the public and put their lives on the line, they absolutely know that everything that they do will be analyzed and investigated."

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

A rumor stated that Iranian officials canceled the first round of US talks after alleging Israeli strikes in Lebanon violated the agreement's terms
51 minutes ago
A viral post claims, 'Donald Trump shook everyone’s hand, except Keir Starmer, then walked off'
1 hour ago
MTG has been critical of the Trump administration, often citing reluctance to release Epstein files
2 hours ago
Sean Strickland was escorted out of the White House UFC Fan Fest and later claimed he was banned over comments about Trump, Epstein and Netanyahu
3 hours ago
Maine Wire Editor-in-Chief Steven Robinson claimed Graham Platner's oyster business was fake and created as a campaign prop after his Senate bid began
20 hours ago
Donald Trump asserted in a Truth Social post while sharing a chart showing year-over-year changes in auto insurance premiums from 2021 to 2026
21 hours ago
US and Iranian officials said Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian signed an MoU halting military operations and paving the way for future nuclear talks
21 hours ago
Social media users debated whether FIFA had the authority to punish fans for political chants, while others treated the story as a joke
22 hours ago
A post alleged that Karoline Leavitt described the petition as a record-breaking federal document and called it 'the will of the American people'
23 hours ago
The lack of a source, video, transcript, or contextual details led some users to question whether Trump had actually made the statement
1 day ago