FBI bars Minnesota from ICE killing investigation
The FBI had initially agreed to work with local officials
What happened
Minnesota officials on Thursday said the FBI was barring state and local investigators from participating in the inquiry into an ICE agent’s fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good on Wednesday. Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) Superintendent Drew Evans said in a statement the FBI “had reversed course” on an initial agreement to conduct a joint investigation, and since the BCA will “no longer have access to the case materials, scene evidence or investigative interviews,” his agency “reluctantly” stepped back.
Who said what
“Minnesota must be part of this investigation,” Gov. Tim Walz (D) told reporters, or “it feels very, very difficult that we will get a fair outcome.” State Attorney General Keith Ellison said he hoped the FBI would “reverse” its “very concerning” decision. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Minnesota officials “have not been out. They don’t have any jurisdiction in this investigation.”
Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the ICE agent who killed Good, identified in court papers as Jonathan Ross, “is protected by absolute immunity.” Vance’s claim was “quickly met with skepticism by experts,” CNN said. But keeping the investigation in federal hands means the BCA has “few tools available to fully scrutinize the shooting and provide its findings to county prosecutors, who would then determine whether the agent should face state charges.”
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What next?
In Oregon, Portland Police Chief Bob Day said Thursday night the FBI was leading the investigation into a Border Patrol agent’s non-fatal shooting of two people in a car yesterday afternoon. DHS said the agent fired a “defensive shot” at an alleged Venezuelan gang member after he fled a “targeted vehicle stop.” In previous cases, including Good’s killing, “video evidence cast doubt on the administration’s descriptions of what prompted the shootings,” The Associated Press said. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said his state’s Department of Justice would conduct its own investigation.
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