Following criticism from some state and local officials for the federal government’s lack of cooperation, Minnesota authorities said on Friday that they were launching their own investigation into the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman in her car by a U.S. Immigration officer. At a press conference, Keith Ellison, the Democratic attorney general of the state, and Mary Moriarty, the chief prosecutor for Hennepin County in Minneapolis, stated that they would gather witness accounts and footage from the shooting of the immigration officer on Wednesday. The revelation was made the day after the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the state’s primary investigating agency, claimed that the FBI had withdrawn its initial cooperation and prevented the BCA from accessing witness interviews, scene evidence, and other information.
Moriarty, a Democrat, expressed concern that her office might not obtain sufficient evidence to determine whether state charges against the officer might be appropriate in the absence of the BCA’s involvement. The ruling may lead to independent, concurrent investigations into the shooting. For example, the woman’s automobile has been seized by the FBI for forensic examination, according to Moriarty. Although there is some precedent for such situations, U.S. authorities, including Vice President JD Vance, have rejected the notion that a federal officer might face state criminal charges. On Friday, however, Moriarty was clear-cut. When a federal law enforcement official is involved, there are undoubtedly complicated legal considerations. However, the legislation makes it clear that we have the authority to decide this,” she stated.
The announcement highlighted how much the confidence between local and federal officials has been damaged by Republican President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement in primarily Democratic-run cities, despite the mayors’ resistance. Earlier in the day, Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis, charged that the Trump administration was attempting to influence the investigation’s conclusion by excluding state officials. Frey, a Democrat, declared, “This is a time to follow the law.” “Hiding from the facts is not appropriate at this time.” Renee Good, a mother of three and a citizen of the United States, was accused of intentionally pointing her car at the officer in an act of “domestic terrorism” by Trump administration officials, who have defended the shooting as self-defense. Frey has called this story “garbage.”
Following an attempted vehicle stop, a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Portland, Oregon, shot and injured a man and woman in their vehicle on Thursday afternoon. The driver “weaponized” the vehicle in an attempt to run down the agent, who fired in self-defense, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, similar to what happened in Minnesota. Echoing Frey, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson stated that unless an independent inquiry was conducted, he could not be certain that the government’s story was based in reality. Wilson, a Democrat, said of federal officials, “There was a time when we could take them at their word.” “That was a long time ago.”
Although there is now cooperation between federal and state investigators, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield told CNN on Friday morning that it is too early to make any conclusions. Thousands of people have demonstrated in Minneapolis, Portland, and other American cities in response to the two shootings, and additional protests are anticipated this weekend. The National Guard in Minnesota has been placed on notice by Democratic Governor Tim Walz.
The United States accuses the Federal Reserve of sowing chaos
Democratic mayors and governors have urged the Trump administration to remove federal officers in both situations, claiming that their presence is causing turmoil and unnecessarily escalating tensions in the streets.
In what DHS called the “largest operation” in its history, the Trump administration ordered the deployment of over 2,000 federal employees to Minneapolis, including the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who shot Good. Based on remarks made by federal officials that the officer had previously been pulled by a migrant’s vehicle during an attempted arrest last summer and had severe cuts, he was identified as Jonathan Ross. The information was consistent with court documents from a June 2025 case in Bloomington, Minnesota, where a man was ultimately found guilty of assaulting Ross. DHS has refused to verify the identity of the officer.
The cop appears to have fired three shots while leaping backward from the front of the car as Good turns her wheels away from him as she drives forward, according to bystander footage of the shooting. After the car’s front bumper has already passed the officer’s legs, the last two rounds seem to be sent through the driver’s side window. Officials from the Trump administration have intensified the government’s version of events since the murder. While Vance on Thursday accused Good of “attacking” agents and commended the officer for his conduct, Trump claimed on social media that the automobile “ran over” the officer.
In a statement to Minnesota Public Radio on Friday, Good’s wife, Becca Good, who was with her at the shooting scene on Wednesday, claimed the two had “stopped to support our neighbors.” She wrote, “We had whistles.” “They were armed.” Additionally, she said that her late wife had “sparkles coming out of her pores.”
“There is kindness in the world, and we need to do everything we can to find it where it resides and nurture it where it needs to grow,” she remarked, summarizing Renee’s philosophy. “Renee was a Christian who understood that all religions teach the same fundamental truth: we are here to love, care for, and protect each other.” Although the Minnesota operation is a component of Trump’s larger immigration crackdown, the state, especially its sizable Somali-American population, has been the target of political attacks by the president for months.
