The extended family of Renee Nicole Good — the poet and mother of three who was shot and killed in Minneapolis by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer last week — is disputing claims that she had a criminal past and urging the public to temper the rhetoric surrounding her death.
Good was shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on Jan. 7 after she ignored orders to get out of her vehicle, reversed and tried to drive away. Authorities say Good "weaponized" her vehicle and tried to run over Ross, prompting him to discharge his firearm in self-defense.
In the days since, top federal officials have described her actions as criminal and politically motivated. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called it "an act of domestic terrorism," while President Donald Trump and others have portrayed Good as a dangerous instigator.
Her family says those portrayals are false — and that the online commentary has been cruel.
"I've been pretty quiet about this, because I wanted to wait until our family could piece together a statement … and it is finally published. You never think the passing of a loved one will be high profile … or a massively divisive, political topic," Morgan Fletcher, Good's sister-in-law, wrote on Facebook Monday.
"Regardless of what happened, she was our family. … And our nephew … is now an orphan," Fletcher added.
"And we've seen the false claims and the wrong Renee Good's info being posted (criminal history? She didn't have one)," she wrote.
Online speculation has included allegations that Good abused children or lost custody. The Daily Mail reported that the only infraction it found in public records was failing to have her vehicle inspected.
Friends told the outlet Good became involved in activism through her 6-year-old son's charter school and a local "ICE watch group," a coalition that seeks to disrupt immigration raids.
In the family's statement, relatives said Good "was full of heart and never defined by malice." They also asked the public to consider the impact of inflammatory commentary on those closest to her.
"No matter where you stand on the issue of ICE or whether or not you think she did or didn't deserve what happened, please remember she was a human being and she had loved ones … including children who can and will likely see all of these things about their mother … and her wife, whom she loved dearly."
"Please remember to BE KIND. And if you claim to be a Christian, especially, please check your heart, attitude, and response to the tragic death," Fletcher said, adding, "For they will know you by your fruits."
Federal investigators are now leading the probe.
The New York Times reported the FBI has taken over from local police and is examining Ross' actions and physical evidence, while also scrutinizing activist networks tied to neighborhood "ICE watch" activity.
Witnesses have said Good and her wife, Rebecca, were legal observers filming the protest. In video from the scene, Rebecca can be heard saying, "I made her come down here, it's my fault," as she cried.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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