Renee Good’s family launches independent probe, rejecting one‑sided investigation
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: The family of Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent during a federal operation in Minneapolis, has launched an independent investigation into her death, citing concerns that official probes rely on a one-sided narrative.
The move comes as protests continue across Minnesota and public scrutiny grows over the federal government’s handling of the January 7 shooting. The family has retained a prominent Chicago-based law firm to seek answers, accountability, and what they describe as a fair and unbiased review of the circumstances surrounding Good’s death.
Family hires law firm to pursue independent review of Good’s death
On Wednesday, January 14, the Good family announced it had hired Romanucci & Blandin to conduct its own investigation, separate from local, state, and federal reviews. Attorney Antonio Romanucci said the family does not believe current investigations adequately reflect all available evidence.
“The thought that there is only a one-sided investigation is really not palatable to the family, nor should it be to the government or the American people,” Romanucci said. “We will gather our evidence as best we can and we will do this ourselves.”
Romanucci added that the family hopes authorities will cooperate with the independent inquiry. “We would hope to have cooperation. That’s something we all hope to do,” he said. “Let’s cooperate to find the truth, and then we accept the truth. But until we have that cooperation, we have to run independently.”
Family lawyer challenges federal narrative of ICE shooting in Good case
According to federal authorities, ICE agents approached Good’s stopped SUV on a residential street after she allegedly blocked a federal vehicle during an immigration operation. Officials say agents ordered her to exit the vehicle and that when she turned and began to drive away, one agent fired his weapon, fatally striking the 37-year-old.
Federal officials have asserted that Good’s SUV became a weapon during the encounter and said an ICE agent suffered internal injuries after being struck. The Trump administration has defended the shooting, saying the officer acted in self-defense while standing in front of the moving vehicle.
Romanucci strongly challenged that version of events.
“Looking at that video — the speed of the car, the direction it was turned, and what she said to those officers beforehand — the totality of the circumstances would indicate that she did not weaponize her car,” he said.
He also disputed claims that Good committed a serious offense prior to the shooting. “Let’s say in the worst-case scenario there was a traffic violation, that her car was improperly placed in the street,” Romanucci said. “What’s the response? A gun to your face with the trigger being pulled? Never.”
Good’s family demands transparent, unbiased investigation into killing
Romanucci said the family remains overwhelmed by grief as they seek accountability. He described Good as a mother, daughter, devoted partner, animal lover, and active PTA participant.
“She was a person. She was someone very dear, and it’s a big loss,” he said. “This was a sudden, unexpected taking. Tragic.”
He emphasized that the family is seeking a fair process, not a predetermined outcome. “Our Constitution demands a fair, balanced, unbiased investigation,” Romanucci said. “The more that investigate, the better.”
When asked whether the family plans to pursue civil litigation against the ICE agent involved, Romanucci said no options have been ruled out. “It certainly is an expectation,” he said, while acknowledging the legal challenges such cases often face.
