Nine months after Renee Good was fatally shot by an immigration officer in Minneapolis, the family of Renee Good has filed two federal civil lawsuits alleging wrongful death and excessive use of force, her attorneys announced Thursday.
A lawsuit seeks to hold the United States liable for the actions of federal agents under the Federal Tort Claims Act. It charges wrongful death, battery, assault, false imprisonment, emotional distress and neglect.
The second lawsuit names Jonathan Ross, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who shot Goode, as well as several federal officials, including White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Goode, 37, was shot and killed in the driver’s seat of Rose’s SUV during an encounter on Jan. 7. The killings came about a month after the Trump administration sent an additional 3,000 immigration agents to the Twin Cities in what officials called “Operation Metro Surge.” Agents raid Minnesota after right-wing influencers revisit state fraud scandal involving Somali nationals.
The operation sparked massive protests and a backlash from national leaders. It ends in February.
The shooting was captured on cell phone video. In the photo, Goode’s partner Becca Goode stood outside the SUV, calling Ross a “big boy” and asking him to take off his face covering. Other officers at the scene can be heard asking Goode to get out of the car. In the video, Goode can be seen taking the wheel away from Ross and starting to drive.
Multiple gunshots can be heard in the video before Goode’s SUV crashes into a parked car. In another video recorded by Ross, a male voice can be heard saying “f—-ing b—-” shortly before the crash.
Figures in the Trump administration, including President Donald Trump and Noem, have defended Ross’ actions and claimed that Goode was an instigator who tried to run over the officer with his vehicle. Witnesses told NBC News at the time that Ross did not appear to be in the direct path of the SUV.
Ross was injured in the incident, treated at a hospital and released a short time later, Noem said. A Department of Homeland Security official previously told NBC News that Ross suffered internal bleeding but did not elaborate on the extent of his injuries.
Weeks after Goode was killed, 37-year-old critical care nurse Alex Pretti was fatally shot by Customs and Border Protection agents in Minneapolis.