Justice Department Refuses to Investigate ICE Killing of Renee Good, a Stark Contrast to George Floyd Probe
Quick Summary
In a significant departure from its response to George Floyd's death, the Justice Department under the Trump administration has refused to launch a criminal investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent, despite video evidence and calls for a probe from figures like Minnesota's governor. Top officials, including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and Homeland Security head Kristi Noem, publicly asserted that the agent acted in self-defense and was cleared by video footage, a claim that went unchallenged in interviews but is contradicted by forensic analysis and the DOJ's own history of investigating the Floyd case, which resulted in four officers' convictions on civil rights charges. This decision comes amid concerns over the DOJ's weakened independence, with partisan leaders like civil rights chief Harmeet Dhillon repeating false claims about the incident and witnesses alleging that federal officers blocked medical aid to Good. In the aftermath, following resignations from federal prosecutors, the DOJ has shifted its focus to investigating Good's widow and cracking down on protesters, with Blanche promising to prosecute anyone obstructing federal agents.
In the aftermath of Renee Good’s fatal shooting, the Justice Department is taking a dramatically different path than it did following George Floyd's death in 2020, sparking sharp comparisons between...
In the aftermath of Renee Good’s fatal shooting, the Justice Department is taking a dramatically different path than it did following George Floyd's death in 2020, sparking sharp comparisons between the two federal responses. Six years ago, the Trump administration’s DOJ quickly launched a criminal investigation into Floyd's murder by a Minneapolis police officer. This time, however, it confirmed on Sunday that it won't be doing the same for the ICE agent who shot and killed Good on January 7th.
The shooting, which happened less than a mile from where Floyd was killed, was filmed on at least five different phones. One of those phones belonged to Jonathan Ross, the agent who fired the shot. Despite the footage, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche—who once served as a personal lawyer for Donald Trump—brushed off the need for a criminal probe in a Fox News interview, claiming the videos circulating online had already cleared the agent.
When pressed about whether the FBI was looking into the agent, especially after criticism from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Blanche was dismissive.
“Look, what happened that day has been reviewed by millions and millions of Americans because it was recorded on phones,” he said. “The department of justice, our civil rights unit, we don’t just go out and investigate every time an officer is forced to defend himself against somebody putting his life in danger. We never do.”
Blanche stood his ground against the political heat, adding, “The department of justice doesn’t just stand up and investigate because some congressman thinks we should, because some governor thinks that we should. We investigate when it’s appropriate to investigate and that is not the case here… So no, we are not investigating.”
Interestingly, no one pushed Blanche to explain what made this case so different from the George Floyd investigation, which the previous Trump DOJ did pursue. His claim that the video evidence clearly showed self-defense also went unchallenged, even though forensic analyses from outlets like the New York Times and Bellingcat have since disproven the idea that Good “ran over” the agent.
Earlier that same Sunday, Kristi Noem, Trump’s head of homeland security, told CBS that an investigation was unnecessary. She argued that “everybody can watch the videos and see that” Ross “got attacked with a car that was trying to take his life,” and suggested a standard internal review would be enough.
But the claim that the DOJ’s civil rights division “never” acts on public pressure is directly contradicted by its own recent history. During the first Trump administration, the U.S. attorney in Minnesota and the FBI announced a “robust criminal investigation” just three days after Floyd’s death. A day later, then-Attorney General William Barr called the video of Floyd’s death “harrowing to watch and deeply disturbing” and confirmed an independent federal investigation was looking into potential civil rights violations.
That federal probe led to the 2022 convictions of four Minneapolis police officers on civil rights charges. Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd's neck, pleaded guilty, and three other officers were convicted for their “deliberate indifference” to his medical needs.
Adding to the concern over the DOJ's current decision, witnesses at Good's shooting say federal officers on the scene stopped a man who identified himself as a doctor from providing aid and even blocked ambulances from reaching her.
Since Trump returned to office, the Justice Department's traditional independence has been severely weakened. He has installed partisan leaders and reportedly told prosecutors to go after his political rivals while dropping cases involving his allies. On the day Good was killed, Harmeet Dhillon, the Republican activist now in charge of the civil rights division, repeated the false claim on X that Good had “violently, willfully and viciously ran over the ICE officer.” A day later, Attorney General Pam Bondi released a statement that didn't mention Good’s death but warned protesters that attacking federal law enforcement is a crime.
After a wave of federal prosecutors resigned in protest of the decision, Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel flew to Minneapolis. Amid reports that the DOJ is now investigating Renee Good’s widow, Becca, for supposedly taunting Ross before the shooting, Blanche promised to “prosecute anyone attacking or obstructing” ICE agents. Patel chimed in, stating the FBI was “cracking down on violent rioters”—a label the administration frequently uses for peaceful protesters.