A law firm representing the family of Renee Good, the 37-year-old shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis, released preliminary findings from an independent autopsy commissioned by her family.
The report, released by the law firm of Romanucci & Blandin, found that Good suffered “three clear gunshot wound paths,” including one to her head.
One of the gunshots struck Good’s left forearm, and another hit her right breast without striking any major organs. Those two wounds were not immediately life-threatening, according to the statement from the firm.
Good also had an entrance wound near her left temple and an exit wound on the right side of her head. An additional graze wound was also found, consistent with a firearm injury.
The family attorneys did not identify who conducted the autopsy, but they said it was performed by a “highly respected and credentialed medical pathologist.”
Good was shot at the wheel of her SUV this month by ICE officer Jonathan Ross as her car partially blocked a road during a federal enforcement operation. Her widow has said she and Good went to the scene to help neighbors when they heard officers were in the area.
On videos of the event, additional officers at the scene can be heard telling Good to get out of the car. She is then seen turning the steering wheel away from Ross and beginning to pull forward. Ross fired three times, then Good’s SUV crashed into a parked car.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem quickly accused Good of being a “domestic terrorist” and said she was blocking officers who were attempting to remove their vehicle from the snow. Noem also claimed Ross feared for his life and shot Good in self-defense.
There has been intense backlash over Ross’ actions, however, including protests in Minneapolis and other cities. State and local authorities have strongly rejected the self-defense narrative and criticized the Justice Department for cutting off state investigators from evidence in Good’s death.
The law firm’s description of the autopsy report is not detailed enough to answer questions such as where Ross was when each shot was fired. The results of the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office autopsy have not been released to the family or their legal team, according to the attorneys. The Department of Homeland Security called Good’s death “entirely preventable” in response to MS NOW’s questions about the unofficial autopsy. “If you impede law enforcement operations, ignore law commands and use a deadly weapon to kill or cause bodily harm to a federal law enforcement office, there are dangerous, and in this case deadly, consequences,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said. Lawyers for Good’s family said evidence will show she wasn’t at fault. “We believe the evidence we are gathering and will continue to gather in our investigation will suffice to prove our case. The video evidence depicting the events of Jan. 7, 2026, is clear, particularly when viewed through the standards of reasonable policing and totality of circumstances,” attorney Antonio Romanucci said.
Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. Recommended
