(AFP) – The family of the woman shot dead by a US immigration officer in Minneapolis has hired a law firm to probe the killing that sparked protests, but which the White House says was self-defense. Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot dead in her car by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis on January 7 as the Trump administration pressed operations to catch undocumented migrants in the midwestern state of Minnesota.
The move announced Wednesday by Good’s family to hire the Romanucci and Blandin law firm to conduct a probe could pave the way for them to sue the US government for wrongful killing. “The legal team intends to conduct its civil investigation with an understanding that transparency is essential in this case of national importance,” the lawyers said in a statement.
The firm represented the family of George Floyd, a Black man whose May 2020 murder by a white police officer in Minneapolis led to nationwide racial justice protests, in their lawsuit against the city. Local officials have complained that federal investigators have refused to share information and evidence linked to the investigation into the Good case with state and city law enforcement.
“The community is not receiving transparency about this case elsewhere, so our team will provide that to the country,” Romanucci and Blandin said, vowing to provide regular public updates. Because of the “many immunities” afforded to federal officers, bringing legal action in the case would be challenging and complex, the law firm said. “This process will not deter us in any way from fervently pursuing justice on behalf of Renee Good,” said founding partner Antonio Romanucci.
A vigil for Good took place at 9:37 am (1637 GMT) on Wednesday, exactly one week after the incident that thrust US President Donald Trump’s mass-deportation effort into the spotlight again. Minnesota has sought a temporary restraining order for the ICE operation in the state which, if granted by a federal judge, would pause the sweeps.
There have been confrontations between federal agents and protesters who have demanded a full investigation of the killing, with officers seen using pepper spray. A number of school children have walked out of classes in protest at the ICE operation in the city. The officer who fired the shots that killed Good, Jonathan Ross, has neither been suspended nor charged with any crime. Trump and his officials insist that he acted in self-defense.
The federal immigration sweeps in Minneapolis occurred amid a highly politicized fraud investigation in Minnesota.
© 2024 AFP
