Renee Good shooting: Family files 2 civil lawsuits in deadly shooting by ICE agent
Renee Good family files lawsuits over deadly shooting
Attorneys representing Renee Good's family filed two civil lawsuits over her shooting death during Operation Metro Surge. Good's brother and partner also spoke during the press conference, calling for accountability and change.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The family of Renee Good, the Minneapolis woman fatally shot by an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officer during Operation Metro Surge in January, is suing ICE agents and other federal officials for their roles in her death.
Civil lawsuits filed in Renee Good's death
What we know:
Attorneys from Chicago-based law firm Romanucci & Blandin and Minneapolis-based Riach Law filed two civil lawsuits Thursday on behalf of Good's family.
The plaintiffs in both cases are Brent Ganger, Renee's brother, serving as trustee for the next of kin of Renee Nicole Macklin Good — including her three children, parents and siblings — and Becca Good, Renee's partner.
READ NEXT: Renee Good's partner speaks for 1st time since Jan. 7 shooting, calls for accountability
Renee Good's brother calls for accountability
Renee Good’s brother Brent Ganger spoke as the family announced two civil lawsuits stemming from her death during Operation Metro Surge. Ganger called for accountability and said the family will continue pushing for answers.
One lawsuit, filed against the United States of America, acting through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its ICE and Customs and Border Patrol divisions. The lawsuit alleges ICE officer Jonathan Ross and other federal agents violated the Fourth Amendment and mandatory DHS use-of-force policies, which prohibit shooting at moving vehicles, using deadly force solely to prevent escape or placing one's self in harm’s way. It also alleges agents rendered no aid to Good and even turned away a physician who offered to help.
The complaint seeks damages for the "immense suffering Renee endured in the final moments of her life," the family’s losses and the emotional and physical injuries of Becca Good, Renee’s partner who was standing feet from the couple’s vehicle and witnessed the deadly shooting.
Dig deeper:
The second lawsuit names eight individual defendants: Jonathan Ross — the ICE agent who shot Good — Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, Corey R. Lewandowski, Thomas D. Homan, Todd Lyons, Gregory Bovino and a group of unidentified federal agents.
The lawsuit alleges that senior White House and DHS officials, in conspiracy with private influencers and tech vendors, launched "Operation Metro Surge"—a discriminatory campaign against Minnesotans of Somali and Hispanic descent that deployed thousands of masked, unidentified federal agents to the state.
The complaint further alleges that Ross and other agents unlawfully targeted Good while she was exercising her First Amendment rights to observe and warn neighbors of the agents' presence, culminating in Ross's use of deadly force when he shot into her car three times, killing her. Following the fatal shooting, federal officials allegedly refused to render medical aid, obstructed state criminal investigations and publicly defamed Good as a domestic terrorist to cover up systemic civil rights violations.
The lawsuit also claims wrongful death, battery, assault, false imprisonment, negligence, and infliction of emotional distress under Minnesota state law.
The plaintiffs are requesting a jury trial and seeking financial damages for Good's pain and suffering, the family's losses and Becca's emotional distress and physical injuries, as well as punitive damages against Ross and the other defendants.
Renee Good shooting
Video shows ICE agent fatally shooting woman in Minneapolis
FOX 9 has obtained several angles of a federal agent fatally shooting a woman in Minneapolis Wednesday morning during an immigration operation. One angle appears to show an agent about to be hit by a vehicle before shots are fired. FOX 9's Karen Scullin has the latest.
The backstory:
On Jan. 7, ICE officer Jonathan Ross fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good as she sat in the driver's seat of the Honda Pilot in south Minneapolis.
ICE said Ross was defending himself when he fatally shot Good. This claim led to intense debate, with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey calling the narrative "bullshit."
The shooting happened around 9:30 a.m. in the area of East 34th Street and Portland Avenue.
Footage shows agents approaching Good's SUV, with one agent's hand on the door handle and another reaching inside the car. The agent at the front left corner of the SUV fired the shots. Protesters at the scene were recording as tensions escalated between the agents and the woman.
READ MORE: Video shows Minneapolis ICE shooting that left woman dead
Witnesses told FOX 9, a woman got into a red vehicle and there was one ICE agent on either side of the vehicle trying to get in, and a third ICE agent came and tried to yank on the driver's side door. One of the agents on the driver's side door backed away, and then opened fire, shooting three times through the driver's side window, witnesses said. One witness said the vehicle wasn't moving toward the agents.
However, federal officials said ICE officers were "conducting targeted operations" when "rioters" blocked officers. One of the "rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them." Officials said an ICE officer who was "fearing for his life" fired "defensive shots" to save himself and his officers, killing the woman.
READ MORE: Renee Good’s partner asks judge to return SUV held after fatal ICE shooting
What's next:
No charges have been filed in connection with Good's death. There has been an ongoing legal battle for access to evidence in the case.
A look at the Renee Good case so far
Timeline:
Jan. 7: Renee Good was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in south Minneapolis.
Jan. 8: BCA announced the FBI is now the lead investigator in the case and state officials are
barred from helping in the investigation.
Jan. 9: Minnesota prosecutors ask the public to give them evidence after the FBI takes over Renee
Good’s shooting case. Minneapolis and state leaders also held a press conference calling for transparency in the
ICE investigation and urge BCA to have a role.
Jan. 13: Six Minnesota federal prosecutors resign after being pushed to investigate Becca Good,
Renee Good's partner.
Jan. 15: The legal team representing Renee Good’s family delivered a Preservation of Evidence
Letter to the federal government in an effort to prevent the destruction of any evidence.
Feb. 2: Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty submitted formal requests by sending "Touhy
request" letters to the DOJ and DHS for evidence related to the Renee Good
shooting.
March 2: Moriarty announces she is prepared to file new lawsuits in order to gain access to
evidence in the deadly shootings of Renee Good and Alexi Pretti.
March 24: Minnesota files a federal lawsuit against DOJ, DHS over access to evidence in Renee
Good and Alex Pretti shootings.
April 9: Judge orders the federal government to turn over evidence from Renee Good’s fatal
shooting for a private court review.
April 27: Renee Good’s partner, Becca Good, asks federal judge to return the SUV held after Renee's fatal ICE shooting.
July 13: Federal government shares key evidence in Renee Good and Alex Pretti shootings.
Oct. 1: Family of Renee Good files two civil lawsuits in connection with her Jan. 7 death.
The Source: Attorneys from Romanucci & Blandin, LLC and Riach Law held a press conference on Thursday, Oct. 1. FOX 9 has reviewed the lawsuits. Additional information in this story comes from local, state and federal officials and previous FOX 9 reporting.