The father of Jonathan Ross, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good during a traffic stop in Minneapolis on Wednesday, has publicly defended his son and said he believes no charges will be filed.
Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, was shot during a stop on a residential street in south Minneapolis near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue.
The shooting quickly became a flashpoint in a national political fight. The Trump administration defended the agent, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem saying Good had “attempted to run a law enforcement officer over” before she was shot. Others challenged that account. Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar wrote on X that “there was no attempt to run the officer over,” while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told the agency to “get the f*** out of Minneapolis.”
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Ross’ father, Ed Ross, defended his son after court documents viewed by Newsweek identified the agent. “She hit him,” he said. “He also had an officer whose arm was in the car. He will not be charged with anything.”
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson told Newsweek on Friday: “We are not going to expose the name of this officer. He acted according to his training. This officer is a longtime ICE officer who has been serving his country his entire life.”
The spokesperson also highlighted the officer’s background, including:
- More than 10 years of experience as an ICE Deportation Officer
- Selection for ICE’s Special Response Team, which requires:
- 30 hours of tryouts just to be considered
- A SRT Basic Operator Course
- Continuous and ongoing training in several specialized skills, including breaching techniques, perimeter control, advanced firearms training, hostage rescue, and more
- Maintaining an expert marksman qualification on all issued firearms
Why It Matters
The incident has intensified debates over whether the shooting was justified and sparked protests at the scene. It has also taken on added symbolism because it occurred about a mile from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020.
The shooting comes as President Donald Trump, in his second administration, has expanded a crackdown on immigration and crime and deployed federal agents to cities across the country. Critics argue those policies have raised tensions and contributed to confrontations like the one that ended in Good’s death.
What To Know
Ed Ross described his son as “a committed, conservative Christian,” adding that “you would never find a nicer, kinder person.” He called him “a tremendous father” and “a tremendous husband,” saying, “I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Vice President JD Vance said at a Thursday press conference that Ross—whom he did not name—would be “protected by absolute immunity.”
“He was doing his job,” Vance told reporters.
Court documents reviewed by Newsweek say Ross has served with ICE for nine years and was previously involved in an operation to apprehend a man prosecutors alleged was in the country illegally. During that encounter, Ross broke a vehicle window and reached inside to open the door as the driver sped off, dragging him for about the length of a football field in roughly 12 seconds.
An FBI agent applied a tourniquet to the officer’s bleeding arm, and he later received dozens of stitches for multiple cuts and abrasions.
Noem referenced that June incident at a Thursday press conference, saying Ross had been “dragged” by a vehicle while trying to apprehend a suspect.
What People Are Saying
A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek in a statement on Friday: “DHS will never confirm or deny attempts to dox our law enforcement officers. Doxxing our officers put their lives and their families in serious danger. Our law enforcement officers are on the frontlines arresting terrorists, gang members, murderers, pedophiles, and rapists. Now, thanks to the malicious rhetoric of sanctuary politicians, they are under constant threat from violent agitators. They are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them, a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks against them, and an 8,000% increase in death threats against them. Publicizing their identities puts their lives and the lives of their families at serious risk. The Star Tribune should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for their reckless behavior, and they should delete their story immediately.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in an official statement: “ICE officers were out in enforcement action, they got stuck in the snow because of the adverse weather…They were attempting to push out their vehicle and a woman attacked them…and attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle. An officer…acted quickly and defensively shot to protect himself and the people around him. My understanding is she was hit, and is deceased. These vehicle rammings are domestic acts of terrorism.”
Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar wrote on X: “You’re lying. There was no attempt to run the officer over and no ICE agents appear to be hurt. Get out of our city.”
Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey, at a news conference, according to Fox 9: “So they are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense. Having seen the video of myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bull****.”
What Happens Next
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI are leading investigations into the use of force.
