The family released a statement about the 37-year-old mother of three on the same day they announced they would launch a civil investigation aimed at holding ICE accountable.
The family of a woman shot to death by federal agents on January 14 revealed new details about what she was doing in the hours leading up to the shooting that sparked nationwide protests.
Renee Nicole Macklin Goode was shot and killed by Jonathan Ross, a U.S. Customs and Immigration Service agent, on January 7th. The shooting occurred during an ICE operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the 37-year-old mother of three drove her SUV through a Los Angeles neighborhood after being asked to exit her vehicle.
Footage of the deadly encounter was widely seen and deeply divided the country. Homeland Security officials maintain that Mr. Ross acted appropriately and that Mr. Good was involved in “domestic terrorism.” Democratic Party leaders are calling for Mr. Ross’ arrest. A new poll finds that most American voters think the shooting was unjustified.
In a statement calling Good a “beautiful light in our family,” the woman’s four siblings, parents and attorney described the shooting as the result of a chance encounter after dropping her 6-year-old child off at school.
“We would like to thank everyone who supported Renee and our family. The endless care we received during this time is exactly what she gave everyone,” Good’s family said in a letter shared with USA TODAY. “Nae was a beautiful light in our family and brought joy to everyone she met. She had a relentless sense of hope and optimism that was contagious. We already miss her more than words can express.”
“Help your neighbor”
After dropping off their children, Good and his wife, Becca Good, were driving with their dog when they encountered federal agents processing immigration in their neighborhood, according to his family and attorney. Lawyers for the family said the couple stopped to “observe and assist their neighbors.”
Becca Good got out of the SUV moments before the fatal encounter. In Good’s last words, which were caught on camera, the woman can be heard telling the immigration officer: “I’m not mad at you.”
“She was our best friend with a seemingly limitless capacity for love. Naenae gave everything she had to care for her friends, family, and people she had never actually met,” Good’s family said. “She was our protector, our shoulder to cry on, and our sparkling source of joy.”
The new details come after the family announced that a Chicago-based law firm will launch an investigation into Good’s death. The investigation comes as Justice Department officials say there is “no basis” for an investigation into the incident. The firm, Romanucci & Blandin, is the same organization that represented the family of George Floyd, who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020.
Homeland Security leaders say the controversial national deployment of military operatives is necessary to root out fraudulent agency officials with ties to Somali immigrants.
