A video recorded by a US immigration officer who fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis earlier this week has now been released, revealing the moments leading up to the gunfire.
The 47-second recording, obtained by Minnesota-based conservative outlet Alpha News, shows Renee Nicole Good seated in the driver’s seat of her vehicle while speaking with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. The footage was shared online by US Vice-President JD Vance, who said the officer acted in self-defense. Local officials, however, dispute that claim, insisting the woman did not present a threat.
Good’s wife has since spoken publicly, honoring the 37-year-old and explaining that the couple had gone out to support neighbors during immigration enforcement activity when the shooting occurred. The incident has triggered protests in cities across the United States.
The administration of President Donald Trump maintains that Good attempted to strike the ICE officer with her vehicle, describing the incident as an act of “domestic terrorism” after officials say she blocked the road and interfered with federal operations.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, has strongly rejected that version of events, calling it “garbage” after reviewing the footage.
The BBC has contacted both the Department of Homeland Security and the White House seeking comment on the newly released video.
The recording begins with the ICE agent exiting his vehicle and using his phone to film Good’s Honda SUV, including a close-up of its registration plate, as he walks around the car. A dog can be seen inside the vehicle.
Good is heard calmly saying: “That’s fine, dude. I’m not mad at you.”
Her wife, Becca Good, is visible standing nearby, also recording the encounter on her phone. She addresses the agent, saying, “That’s OK, we don’t change our plates every morning, just so you know. It’ll be the same plate when you come talk to us later.”
She continues, taunting the officer: “You want to come at us? You want to come at us? I say go get yourself some lunch, big boy.”
At that point, a second ICE agent approaches the driver’s side of the vehicle and, using profanity, orders Good to get out of the car.
The agent holding the camera then steps directly in front of the SUV as Good reverses slightly.
In a sudden and chaotic sequence, the vehicle turns sharply to the right and begins moving forward. The camera jolts upward toward the sky.
“Woah, woah!” someone shouts as gunshots are heard.
In the final seconds of the footage, the SUV is seen swerving down the road, while the ICE agent curses.
Separate videos previously released show the maroon Honda crashed off the side of the road after Good was shot. The officer who fired the weapon appears uninjured and remains standing. Later footage shows him walking toward the crashed vehicle.
Federal authorities say the ICE agent sustained injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment. The FBI has confirmed it is investigating the shooting.
Another video, filmed from a different angle, had already been circulating before the newly released footage emerged.
The officer who fired the fatal shots has been identified as Jonathan Ross, a veteran ICE agent who was previously injured while on duty after being struck by a vehicle in an earlier incident.
Asked about the video on Friday, President Trump defended immigration agents, telling reporters at the White House: “You have agitators, and we will always be protecting ICE. We’re always going to be protecting our border patrol and our law enforcement.”
Vice-President Vance also reposted the footage on X, stating: “The reality is that his life was endangered and he fired in self-defence.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed that stance, accusing the media of unfairly attacking an ICE agent who, she said, had “properly defended himself from being run over.”
Becca Good told local media that she and her wife had gone to the scene specifically to support neighbours affected by immigration enforcement.
“We had whistles,” she said. “They had guns.”
Speaking about her wife, a mother of three including a six-year-old son, Becca Good said: “Kindness radiated out of her.”
She added: “We were raising our son to believe that no matter where you come from or what you look like, every one of us deserves compassion and kindness.”
Protests over the killing entered a third consecutive night on Friday.
The Minneapolis Police Department told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that at least 30 people were detained, cited, and released following demonstrations in the city’s downtown area.
Images from the scene showed protesters gathered outside a hotel believed to be housing ICE agents.
Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety said it assisted police in making arrests for suspected unlawful assembly after responding to reports near the Canopy Hotel and issuing dispersal orders.
The department said authorities received information indicating demonstrations had escalated, with reports of property damage.
Earlier in the week, Governor Tim Walz announced he had activated Minnesota’s National Guard to assist with protest security.
On Friday, state officials said they would open their own investigation into the shooting, citing a lack of cooperation from federal authorities.
When asked whether the FBI should share its findings with Minnesota officials, President Trump responded: “Well normally I would, but they’re crooked officials.”
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, both Democrats, confirmed they are launching a separate inquiry.
This came after the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said the FBI initially agreed to conduct a joint investigation before later withdrawing.
The US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will not be investigating the case, despite having previously examined allegations of excessive force by law enforcement. Sources told CBS News that prosecutors advised against opening a criminal civil rights probe.
Governor Walz has accused the Trump administration of deliberately blocking state involvement, while Vice-President Vance has argued the case falls under federal jurisdiction.
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