Kash Patel Allegedly Stifled Investigation into Renee Good's Shooting to Protect Trump
Federal officials, including Kash Patel, the FBI Director during the Trump administration, reportedly intervened to halt a civil rights investigation into the shooting death of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last month. This intervention was allegedly motivated by concerns that the investigation could undermine President Trump's narrative surrounding Good's death, according to a recent report.
On the day of the incident, federal prosecutor Joseph Thompson sought a warrant to search Good’s vehicle for evidence, indicating that he intended to collaborate with the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to determine whether the shooting was justified or if it violated Good’s rights.
However, after FBI agents secured a warrant to document blood spatter and bullet holes in Good’s SUV, they were ordered to cease their activities. This information comes from sources cited by The New York Times.
Instead of pursuing a civil rights case, the Justice Department allegedly directed investigators to obtain new warrants for a criminal inquiry into whether Good had assaulted ICE agent Jonathan Ross, shifting focus away from the shooting itself.
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has stated that federal officials obstructed access to case files and evidence from the scene, effectively preventing a civil rights investigation from being initiated.
In the wake of the shooting, senior Trump administration officials promoted a narrative that lacked supporting evidence and contradicted available video footage. President Trump claimed that Good “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer,” while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Nome labeled her a domestic terrorist.
This handling of the case has led to multiple resignations among Minnesota officials. Prosecutors, including Thompson, have resigned en masse from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota, and an FBI officer reportedly left due to pressure against pursuing a civil rights investigation into Good's death.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated she dismissed these prosecutors, asserting they had “suddenly decided they didn’t want to support the men and women at ICE.”
The Trump administration's approach to Good's death, along with the subsequent shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents, has faced significant backlash. Reports indicate that federal agents obstructed state investigators from accessing the scene of Pretti’s killing.
It was news outlets that identified the agents involved in Pretti's shooting rather than government sources. Under mounting pressure following both incidents, the Trump administration shifted its stance and initiated a federal civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death, now led by the DOJ instead of Homeland Security.
Kevin Flynn, a former U.S. attorney for the DOJ in Washington, D.C., described the administration's actions as a “complete aberration.”
Calls for transparency continue as Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis, has formally requested evidence from the DOJ and DHS as part of its local investigation into Good’s death.
“I expect the federal government to provide the requested information, documents and physical items to our office,” stated Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. “The federal government has been clear that they are not conducting an investigation into Renee Good’s death. But we are. We require these records as part of our ongoing thorough investigation into her death at the hands of a federal agent, Jonathan Ross.”
In late January, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee urged Bondi for records detailing how the DOJ opted against a civil rights investigation in this case.
"Someone affirmatively ordered federal law enforcement to instead investigate Ms. Good's widow,” one lawmaker noted. “Someone affirmatively ordered line agents to block state prosecutors from accessing key evidence. Someone is now taking the same actions with regard to the killing of another American citizen.”
