Minneapolis leaders are demanding an independent state investigation through its Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) following the fatal shooting of resident Renee Good earlier this week by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.
City officials, county leaders and state lawmakers made the call during a press conference on Friday near the shooting site, urging the FBI and Department of Justice to allow the BCA to lead or jointly conduct the investigation into Good’s Jan. 7 death. Federal officials have described the shooting as self-defense and have gone as far as to call Good's actions "an act of domestic terrorism," while local leaders refuted such claims and believe that only an independent review can ensure transparency and credibility.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said trust in the federal investigation began eroding almost immediately after Good was shot and killed, referencing federal officials' swift statements labeling Good as a domestic terrorist and defending the agent’s actions as defensive before any independent review was completed. The alleged shooter is Jonathan Ross, who has been reported by numerous media outlets to have served with ICE as a deportation officer since 2015.
“The fact that the Department of Justice and this presidential administration has already come to a conclusion about those facts is deeply concerning,” Frey said. “If you have nothing to hide from, then do not hide from it. Include local experts in the process.”
Inside Minnesota’s BCA
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is the state’s primary investigative agency for officer-involved shootings and other critical incidents involving law enforcement.
Operating under the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, the BCA routinely conducts independent investigations when police or government agents use deadly force. Its role is to gather and preserve evidence rather than to advocate for any political party or exude partisanship.
After the killing of George Floyd in 2020, Minnesota expanded the BCA’s Force Investigations Unit—a specialized team trained specifically to handle shootings involving officers or government personnel. Investigators collect physical evidence, review body-camera and surveillance footage, interview witnesses and involved officers, and reconstruct events before submitting complete case files to county attorneys.
Prosecutors then determine whether criminal charges are warranted. The BCA itself does not make charging decisions, though its findings form the foundation of every legal review.
Local and state leaders say the BCA’s independence, experience and familiarity with Minnesota law make it uniquely positioned to either lead or jointly conduct the investigation into Good’s death.
“The fact that the Department of Justice and this presidential administration has already come to a conclusion about those facts is deeply concerning." - Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey
They argue BCA involvement would ensure the case is reviewed by investigators who are not part of the same federal system as the agent involved, reducing concerns about conflicts of interest and reinforcing public confidence in the outcome.
Supporters of BCA oversight also note the agency has handled numerous high-profile, officer-involved shootings across Minnesota in recent years, including cases that resulted in both criminal charges and decisions not to prosecute.
Frey said the BCA has decades of experience handling officer-involved shootings and has earned credibility through prior independent reviews. He warned those early characterizations risked contaminating the investigation and damaging public confidence in a city still shaped by the lessons of the George Floyd case.
“Our ask is to embrace the truth,” Frey said. “Our ask is to include the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in this process because we in Minneapolis want a fair investigation.”
Federal Leaders Defend ICE Narrative
While Minneapolis leaders demanded independent oversight, several Republican national figures publicly backed the federal law enforcement account.
Vice President JD Vance defended the ICE agent during public remarks, calling the shooting a defensive response and criticizing what he described as political distortion.
“I can believe her death is a tragedy while also recognizing it is a tragedy of her own making,” Vance said.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi warned in public statements and social media posts that interfering with federal agents is a crime, urging demonstrators not to “test our resolve.”
Department of Homeland Security officials, including Secretary Kristi Noem, described the encounter as "an act of domestic terrorism" and claimed Good attempted to strike the agent with her vehicle.
“I can believe her death is a tragedy while also recognizing it is a tragedy of her own making." -- Vice President JD Vance
Former President Donald Trump echoed that characterization on social media, writing that Good “violently, willfully and viciously ran over the ICE officer.” Video circulated online since Wednesday appears to show otherwise.
Minnesota officials also said those claims conflict with video and eyewitness accounts reviewed locally.
Frey also rejected portrayals of Minneapolis as unsafe, saying federal enforcement actions are contributing to fear rather than security.
“Fifty percent of the shootings that have happened thus far in Minneapolis this year have been ICE,” Frey said, noting the city has recorded two shootings in 2026. “We are a safe city. ICE is making us less so."
Councilmember Demands ICE Agent's Arrest
The shooting occurred near the boundary of the Ward 9 district.
Minneapolis City Council Vice President Jason Chavez, who represents the district, said Good was not a terrorist and accused ICE agents of excessive force.
“She was a mother, a wife and a beloved community member, not a domestic terrorist,” Chavez said. “I am calling on Trump’s FBI to allow Minnesota BCA to have access to all the information so an independent investigation can occur.”
“I am here on behalf of my entire community echoing the calls to arrest, to prosecute and to fire this ICE agent who murdered Renee Good,” he added.
Chavez described what he called widespread ICE activity across Minneapolis, alleging agents have detained residents while commuting, standing at bus stops, moving vehicles during snow emergencies, or taking out trash.
“What has descended upon Minneapolis is not the American dream,” he said.
Lawmakers Cite George Floyd Precedent
State Rep. Aisha Gomez (D-Minn.) said Minnesota created strict standards for investigating officer-involved shootings after the killing of George Floyd.
“The only question in front of us is whether we are going to design a process that’s legitimate or not,” Gomez said.
She urged federal authorities to share all evidence with the BCA’s Force Investigations Unit.
“Do we want a legitimate investigation with professionals who have local legitimacy,” Gomez said, “or a discredited farce of an investigation?”
County Commissioner Raises Concerns
Hennepin County Commissioner Irene Fernando called Good’s death “an unimaginable and preventable loss.”
“Justice is pursued through legal action, credible investigation and courts,” Fernando said. “Not through guns, murder and violence on our streets.”
Fernando said ICE agents have staged near school bus stops and gone door to door, sometimes refusing to show warrants or identification.
“This is a terrifying reality for Minnesotans,” she said, adding that Minnesota law requires BCA investigations to be reviewed by the county attorney. “We have a process here to review force. We have full trust in this process and in the county attorney.”
Senator Accuses Federal Leaders of Misrepresenting Case
State Sen. Zaida Mohammed (D-Minn.) accused federal leaders of misrepresenting what happened.
“There were many witnesses to Renee’s murder and the horrific videos we have seen make us all witnesses,” Mohammed said. “This was a crime in broad daylight and the attempt to cover it up is another.”
She rejected claims that Good ran over the ICE agent.
“Watch the video from every single angle,” Mohammed said. “He was not run over. He walked out of there with a hop in his step.”
State Rep. Jamie Long (D-Minn.) said the FBI initially invited the BCA to participate before reversing course.
“They were invited by the FBI to participate in the investigation jointly,” Long said. “Then for some reason, they decided to walk away.”
Long warned that delays risk losing time-sensitive evidence.
“There is time-sensitive evidence,” he said. “Memory lapses happen if you are not able to interview witnesses right away.”
