The White House’s account of a U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shooting a U.S. citizen, Renee Nicole Good, in Minneapolis is at odds with video evidence from the scene. President Donald Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claim that Good intentionally drove her vehicle into an ICE officer, prompting the officer to shoot in self-defense. However, three verified videos challenge these assertions and cast doubt on the justification for the shooting.
The footage shows Good’s SUV parked on Portland Avenue, with ICE officers approaching her vehicle and demanding her to exit. As the SUV briefly reverses, a third officer steps in front of the vehicle from the passenger side. Good then steers her vehicle forward, with the officer firing what appears to be three shots into the car. Contrary to official statements, the videos do not show Good’s vehicle running over the officer.
The DHS quickly blamed Good for the incident, alleging that she tried to run over law enforcement officers, prompting defensive action. Trump, Noem, and Vance echoed this narrative, describing Good’s actions as an attack and domestic terrorism. However, the videos do not support these claims. Vance, in particular, adamantly defends the shooting as justified, despite conflicting interpretations from Minneapolis officials and experts like John Gross.
Gross analyzed the footage and refuted the domestic terrorism claims, stating that Good did not attempt to ram the officer. He highlighted the bullet hole placement as suggesting the officer fired from beside the vehicle and as the car turned away. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey have criticized the White House’s version of events, expressing concerns about the independence of the FBI investigation. Frey accused Noem of hindering an impartial inquiry by pushing a false terrorism narrative.