If It Was Self-Defense, Release the Full Record
What DHS and Trump claimed, what the video shows, and what still hasn’t been released publicly
*If the audio is rough in places, it is being worked on as I learn to edit my voice recordings. Thank you for your patience and for reading/listening. -Blue
📌 NOTE FOR NEW READERS: The 50501 Movement organizes peaceful action across all 50 states to defend democracy. Our publication is over 80,000 subscribers strong and growing. If this resonates with you, hit subscribe and join us.
On January 7th, 2026, thirty-seven-year-old Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent during a federal immigration operation.
Within hours, before most people even knew her name, the story split into two completely different versions: the federal one that asks you to stop asking questions, and the local one from officials who actually watched the footage and refuse to pretend it matches what DHS is claiming.
TL;DR
37 year old Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis during a major federal surge operation.
DHS and the Trump administration immediately framed it as self-defense and labeled it “domestic terrorism” before releasing the full evidence record.
Mayor Jacob Frey publicly called that narrative “bullshit” and told ICE to “get the fuck out of Minneapolis.”
Reuters reviewed/verified video that casts doubt on the federal version, describing a vehicle maneuvering away as agents crowd close, and then shots fired.
The FBI and state authorities are investigating, but the public still doesn’t have the full evidence record.
What the government said suspiciously fast
DHS and ICE’s official position is that Ms. Good “weaponized” her vehicle, tried to run over agents, and that the shooting was lawful self-defense. DHS leadership immediately started using the phrase “domestic terrorism.”
Then Trump amplified the most extreme version possible, posting that she “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over” an ICE officer and that the agent “almost died.”
What Minneapolis leaders are saying
Frey didn’t hedge or use careful diplomatic language. He called the federal “self-defense” narrative “bullshit,” described the killing as reckless use of power, and told ICE to get out of his city.
Governor Tim Walz criticized the surge operation and said it’s inflaming tensions and he’s positioned the state in accountability mode rather than repeating DHS talking points.
Local officials do not usually go to these lengths with federal narrative unless the evidence in front of them is incompatible with what’s being claimed.
The question being asked
Why would anyone calmly exit their vehicle when federal agents in tactical gear, some masked, surround you shouting commands?
The person giving “orders” looks like a stranger in tactical gear who could be anyone.
If you’re in your car and suddenly armed men are converging, shouting, and reaching toward your door, your body does what bodies do, they sometimes panic, freeze, calculate, and yeah… fight or flight, sometimes they try to leave. That’s not “terrorism.” That’s a nervous system responding to threat.
And it’s important to understand because the standard for deadly force is supposed to be imminent threat and absolute necessity, not impatience with someone who’s scared.
What the video footage tells us
Reuters reviewed/verified video that casts serious doubt on the federal account. They describe Ms. Good’s vehicle attempting to maneuver away while agents crowd close to it, and then an agent firing multiple shots.
Local Minnesota reporting describes audio where an officer yells for her to get out, and then shots are fired as she appears to be driving away, not toward anyone.
ABC-owned local reporting also frames the event as disputed and notes Frey’s rejection of the “self-defense” framing.
That doesn’t “prove” every single detail of what happened. But it’s more than enough to justify what the public is demanding: stop labeling a Renee as a terrorist and start releasing the actual record because we need accountability.
“She didn’t follow orders” is not a death sentence
We’ve seen the angry MAGA comments. The ones saying she “deserved it.” The ones framing instant obedience as the price of being allowed to live.
That thinking is authoritarian, and it’s also how state abuse sustains itself across generations.
A free society does not operate on “comply fast enough or die.” When lethal force happens, “did she do exactly what a stranger yelled within three seconds?” shouldn’t be how this system operates. They should have used critical thinking skills and questioned if there was an imminent threat that made killing her necessary. Seriously, are they picking just anyone to be an ICE agent?!
And right now, the video descriptions in major reporting are exactly why so many people believe the federal story is not credible.
Remember Renee Good
Renee Nicole Good had a life and people who loved her. Reuters reported her family described her as incredibly compassionate and non-confrontational.
Renee was a wife, a mother of three, someone’s neighbor, someone’s friend, a poet, she enjoyed playing the guitar and loved to write. She deserves better than being labeled a terrorist by the same agency that killed her.
We Need Accountability
Here’s the minimum standard a democracy owes the public after something like this happens:
Release all footage: Preserve all bystander video, release any surveillance footage, and release any federal recordings from the scene.
Independent investigation: Not DHS investigating itself. Reuters reports state and federal investigations are underway.
Public disclosure of use-of-force policy: Show us exactly what rules applied to vehicle encounters and whether those rules were followed.
Clear limits on street-level sweeps in civilian neighborhoods: These massive surge operations create exactly these kinds of split-second situations where people die unnecessarily.
This is another day in America where, again, we’re being asked to accept the most extreme version of events before the evidence is released.
Justice for Renee means releasing all bodycam and video footage. We need to see the evidence and we need accountability.
What is the most important piece of evidence you want released first and why? Drop your answer in the comments.
Sources
CBS Minnesota live updates
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/live-updates/minneapolis-federal-agents-protesters-clash-portland-avenue/Colorado Public Radio/NPR
https://www.cpr.org/2026/01/07/fatal-minneapolis-ice-shooting-colorado-woman/Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/01/07/ice-shooting-minneapolis-immigration/6ABC (ABC-owned local outlet)
https://6abc.com/post/shooting-is-reported-minneapolis-where-feds-are-conducting-immigration-crackdown/18367784/
The videos are all over the internet…this was murder. There was no reason to shoot her. These guys are thugs, supported by a thug president.
When in our history has it been ok for masked men to tear people from vehicles, homes, schools and businesses. WHY are we tolerating this? The white hoods have been replaced with face masks. What is the background check process on these agents who are being issued lethal weapons to be used in our neighborhoods? NONE of this can be allowed to become normalized.
Labeling groups of Americans as domestic terrorists without them meeting any globally accepted understanding of what a terrorist is defined as is unacceptable.
We are past the point of no return. We need this to stop immediately. This President and his ridiculously unqualified executive leadership team must be removed. We must begin general strikes, peaceful protests. Legal civil disobedience, organizing marches to Washington and demand change. We should stop and look at who and where we are as a nation, and deconstruct what we think we know and acknowledge the role racism and misogyny has been institutionalized into every single thing we have experienced in what we see as learning in this country.
We are not left versus right. We are top versus bottom economically and we are inherently racist in our founding as a country. I believe it is time to proudly hit the reset button, reboot as a nation, and install an entirely new operating system. I have had it and we absolutely cannot allow current activities by this administration to be normalized.
Thank you to 50501 for all you do and to all the people you organize and inspire to stand for decency, liberty for all, and for maintaining peaceful protesting against what is happening.