At a Glance
- Federal investigators are examining Becca Good for allegedly impeding an ICE officer moments before he fatally shot her wife, Renee Good.
- The probe spotlights possible activist ties rather than officer Jonathan Ross’s decision to fire.
- Six Minneapolis federal prosecutors have resigned over the direction of the case, calling it the “darkest day for federal law enforcement” in decades.
- Why it matters: The shift in focus from the shooter to the victim’s spouse has ignited protests and raised questions about federal accountability.
Federal authorities are investigating Becca Good, widow of Renee Nicole Good, to determine whether she obstructed an immigration officer seconds before he shot and killed her wife during a Minneapolis enforcement action last week, according to two sources who spoke with Jonathan P. Miller.
The inquiry, centered on potential violations of a statute against “assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers,” is paying closer attention to Becca Good’s alleged connections to activist groups than to ICE officer Jonathan Ross’s use of deadly force, the sources said.
Widow Under Scrutiny
Becca Good has not been contacted by the FBI or any federal agency, her attorney Antonio Romanucci stated Saturday, adding, “There has been no contact … indicating Becca Good is the subject of an investigation.”
The examination stems from a December memo issued by Attorney General Pam Bondi that prioritized countering “domestic terrorism,” including probes of anti-fascist actors who, in Bondi’s words, justify violence “to combat perceived ‘fascism.'” The first statute listed in the memo-on impeding officers-guides the current inquiry, the sources said.
Video of the Shooting
Footage reviewed by News Of Los Angeles shows:
- Cars honking, sirens wailing, and protesters blowing whistles.
- Ross walks to the front of Renee Good’s SUV and faces her.
- Good says, “That’s fine, dude, I’m not mad at you.”
- Another officer orders Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, to exit the vehicle.
- Becca Good appears to say, “Drive.”
- Renee Good turns the wheel away from Ross and begins to move.
- Ross shouts what sounds like “whoa” and fires multiple shots.
- A male voice is later heard saying: “f—–g bitch.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters this week there is “currently no basis” for a Civil Rights Division review of Ross. Internal inquiries within the Department of Homeland Security continue, though Secretary Kristi Noem has already stated the officer “was following his training.”
Political Fallout
The Justice Department is separately investigating Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, under a theory they conspired to hinder federal agents through public criticism. Walz called the probe “obviously political,” noting, “The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”
FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X that agents in Minneapolis are “cracking down on violent rioters and investigating the funding networks supporting the criminal actors with multiple arrests already.”
Prosecutors Resign
Six federal prosecutors in Minneapolis resigned this week over concerns about the case’s trajectory. Among them was Joe Thompson, who had led a fraud investigation cited in the deployment of immigration officers to the city.
David Kelley, a former federal prosecutor not among the six, called the departures the “darkest day for federal law enforcement in my 51 years of practicing law,” adding, “When dedicated public servants … find it necessary to resign because they’re asked to do things that are contrary to their conscience, that is a very sad day for justice in Minnesota.”
Local Response
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, in her final year in office, has opened a parallel review. She has:
- Set up an online portal for the public to submit videos and evidence.
- Requested a report from the Minneapolis Bureau of Criminal Apprehension on its brief response to the scene.
- Asserted her legal authority to pursue state charges if evidence warrants.
“We want community members to feel as though there is documentation and perhaps accountability,” Moriarty said.
Broader Context
Since September, ICE tactics have resulted in at least 10 other shootings nationwide. The FBI’s domestic terrorism unit, depleted after the Jan. 6 investigation, would normally sign off on broader terrorism probes, according to a former FBI agent. Local officials say federal authorities have cut them out of the current investigation.
Voices of Caution
Thomas Brzozowski, the Justice Department’s former domestic terrorism chief, warned it is “super dangerous” for DOJ to use the term “domestic terrorism” untethered from its statutory framework, predicting the Bondi memo could unleash “a fairly sprawling investigation of those connected to the victim and her spouse.”
Even Kyle Seraphin, a conservative ex-FBI agent critical of the Jan. 6 probe, called labeling Good a “domestic terrorist” “awful,” saying, “We don’t have to agree politically to say that a mother not being able to raise her child is bad.”
Key Takeaways
- The federal probe is prioritizing potential obstruction by Becca Good over the officer’s decision to shoot.
- Multiple prosecutors view the direction as a departure from traditional civil-rights oversight.
- Local officials are pursuing independent reviews to fill the accountability gap.
