image from BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1jepdjy256o

On 7 January 2026, Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old US citizen, was fatally shot during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The shooting has prompted national protests and an ongoing federal investigation.

What is established by video and reporting

A 47-second cellphone video, recorded by the ICE agent who fired the shots and published by multiple outlets, shows the following sequence:

• Good is seated in her vehicle and tells an agent, “That’s fine, dude… I’m not mad at you.”
• An agent orders her to get out of the car.
• Good briefly reverses, then drives forward while turning to her right.
• Three shots are fired in quick succession as the vehicle is moving away.
• The agent remains upright and mobile after firing.
• Good later dies from her injuries.

No weapon is visible, and Good was not the subject of an arrest warrant. City and state officials state that the video evidence contradicts federal claims that the vehicle was used as a deadly weapon.

Federal authorities have described the shooting as self-defence and later characterised Good’s actions as “domestic terrorism”. Those descriptions remain official claims, not judicial findings.

The legal standards that apply

US constitutional law

Under Tennessee v. Garner (1985), police may use lethal force only if they have probable cause to believe a person poses an immediate threat of death or serious bodily harm.

Under Graham v. Connor (1989), the use of force must be objectively reasonable, judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer at the scene.

Department of Justice and DHS policy further states:

• Lethal force is a last resort
• It may not be used solely to stop escape
• Shooting at moving vehicles is strongly discouraged unless there is an unavoidable, imminent threat to life

International human rights law

Under the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms and Article 6 of the ICCPR, firearms may be used only when strictly necessary to protect life, and only when less harmful means are insufficient.

Evidence-based legal assessment

Based strictly on what is currently established:

• Good was not suspected of a violent crime.
• She was attempting to leave the scene.
• The available footage does not clearly show an unavoidable, imminent, lethal threat to the agent.
• The agent remained standing and uninjured after firing.

This does not allow a definitive legal verdict without full forensic disclosure. However:

On the evidence publicly available, the threshold required to justify lethal force under US constitutional law and international standards is not clearly met.

That conclusion reflects legal analysis, not political judgement.

Official Claims vs Evidence Table