Rebecca Good Probed for 'Impeding' ICE as Footage Captures Her Final Words to Slain Wife

The Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into Rebecca Good, examining whether she impeded Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents moments before one shot and killed her partner, Renee Nicole Good, during a confrontation on a Minneapolis residential street. Federal officials are focusing the probe on Rebecca Good's potential ties to activist groups and her actions in the seconds leading up to the 7 January shooting.

The investigation marks a controversial turn in a case that has already sparked mass protests and resignations within the Justice Department itself. Video footage from the scene captured Rebecca Good standing outside the couple's Honda Pilot, holding a mobile phone, as ICE agents surrounded the vehicle. As one agent reached into the car and another told Renee Good to exit, Rebecca can be heard shouting, 'Drive, baby, drive, drive,' before Renee pulled away and ICE agent Jonathan Ross opened fire. 'There has been no contact from the FBI or federal officials indicating Becca Good is the subject of an investigation,' her lawyer, Antonio Ramanucci, said on Saturday. Ramanucci's law firm, Romanucci & Blandin, also represented George Floyd's family and secured a £21 million ($27 million) settlement in that case.

Federal Focus Sparks Resignations

The investigation into Rebecca Good represents a marked departure from typical Justice Department procedure following fatal law enforcement encounters. Rather than immediately launching a civil rights investigation into the shooting itself, federal officials have instead turned their attention to those present during the incident. At least six federal prosecutors in Minneapolis resigned in protest after being directed to investigate Rebecca Good rather than examining whether Agent Ross's use of deadly force was justified.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that there was 'no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation' into the shooting, breaking with decades of precedent in high-profile law enforcement killings. The decision to bypass the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division—which would normally take the lead in such cases—has drawn sharp criticism from former federal prosecutors and civil rights advocates.

Widow's Distress

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, video captured Rebecca Good in visible distress, sobbing and repeatedly saying, 'It's my fault' and 'I made her come down here'. The couple had stopped in the neighbourhood to 'support our neighbours' who were concerned about ICE enforcement operations in the area, Rebecca Good said in a statement released days after the shooting.

An incident report from the Minneapolis Fire Department revealed that Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, sustained four gunshot wounds to her chest, arm and head. She was pronounced dead approximately one hour after the shooting. The Department of Homeland Security has maintained that Ross acted in self-defence, claiming Renee Good 'weaponised' her SUV and struck the agent. However, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey disputed this characterisation after reviewing footage of the incident, stating bluntly that the federal government's account was 'bullshit.'

Broader Investigation Targets Minnesota Officials

The probe into Rebecca Good forms part of a wider Justice Department investigation examining whether state and local officials conspired to impede federal immigration enforcement. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey are both under investigation for allegedly impeding federal agents through public statements criticising ICE tactics.

'When the governor or the mayor threaten our officers, when the mayor suggests that he's encouraging citizens to call 911 when they see ICE officers, that is very close to a federal crime,' Deputy Attorney General Blanche said. Both Walz and Frey have condemned the investigations as politically motivated intimidation tactics. 'The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her,' Walz said in a statement.

Why This Investigation Matters

The federal government's decision to investigate those present at the scene rather than the circumstances of the shooting itself represents a significant shift in how law enforcement accountability cases are handled. Historically, the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has played a crucial role in examining whether officers' use of deadly force violated constitutional rights, particularly in cases that generate public concern.

By sidelining this division and focusing on potential obstruction charges against civilians and elected officials, the Trump administration has fundamentally altered the investigative framework used in officer-involved shootings. The mass resignation of federal prosecutors underscores the internal resistance to this new direction within the Justice Department itself.