Matt Damon questions ICE training after Renee Good shooting, calls incident 'incredibly alarming'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Actor Matt Damon has spoken out following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis, calling the incident “incredibly alarming.” 

His remarks came as the killing sparked national attention, public protests, and renewed scrutiny of ICE training, tactics, and use-of-force policies amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts.

Matt Damon condemns ICE training after Renee Good shooting

Damon publicly condemned what he described as a “lack of training” within ICE after the killing of Good. While attending the premiere of his new Netflix movie 'The Rip,' Damon wore a “Be Good” pin in tribute to Good and as a protest against the shooting, which occurred on Wednesday, January 7.

Speaking to the Associated Press on the red carpet, Damon said he hoped the incident would prompt conversations about what kind of country Americans want to live in. “Yeah, I mean, I think that that incident was incredibly alarming,” Damon said.

He continued, “I think a lot of people are on edge and worried about this and paying very close attention and really worried about this type of behavior out in our streets and the lack of training that we’re reading about and hearing about with some of these people who are going out there.”

Damon added that he had spoken with friends in law enforcement about the incident, “Clearly, you know, I’ve heard from a lot of friends in law enforcement that that was not the way they would have handled the situation.” 

He reiterated, “I think as concerned citizens, we need to be talking about this and talking about what kind of country we want to live in.” Damon later told USA Today that the shooting should raise awareness nationwide, “I think like millions of people around the country, we’re really concerned with what’s going on”.

Damon urged for broader public dialogue, “And I think it’s about raising awareness about what’s happening in our cities and on our streets and hopefully will promote a larger discussion about this.”

Renee Nicole Good shooting and ICE training

Good was fatally shot in her car by ICE agent Jonathan Ross, not far from where George Floyd was killed. Cellphone footage captured by Ross revealed new angles of the incident.

According to the Trump administration, Good attempted to run Ross over with her car while driving away. However, many people who have viewed the video have alleged that Good was simply attempting to leave the scene.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the ICE officer “followed his training”. Homeland Security’s use-of-force policy instructs officers to try to de-escalate tensions and allows deadly force if an officer believes there is an imminent threat of death or serious injury.

The policy, last updated in 2023, prohibits officers from shooting at drivers of moving vehicles unless deadly force is otherwise justified and requires officers to consider the risks to bystanders from an out-of-control vehicle.

DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the 2023 policy remains in place and stated that ICE officers are trained to use the minimum force necessary and regularly receive de-escalation and use-of-force training.

Good was a volunteer with a network of neighborhood patrols that organized local activists to track and record ICE operations in Minneapolis.