ICE Shooting of Renee Nicole Good Raises Questions About Federal Use-of-Force Policies
MINNEAPOLIS — The fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer is prompting renewed scrutiny of how federal agents are trained to handle encounters involving vehicles, as investigators weigh whether the officer’s actions complied with Department of Homeland Security use-of-force policy.
Federal officials say the officer fired in self-defense, asserting that Good’s car posed an imminent threat. In a statement released after the shooting, DHS said the agent “acted to protect life” after perceiving a danger of serious injury.
But video footage, witness accounts and a review of ICE and DHS policy have raised questions about whether the encounter met the narrow circumstances under which agents are permitted to shoot into or at a vehicle.
Under DHS policy, deadly force may be used only when an officer reasonably believes there is an immediate threat of death or serious bodily harm and no other objectively reasonable option exists. The policy generally prohibits firing at a moving vehicle to stop it or prevent escape, allowing such force only when the vehicle itself is being used as a weapon and the threat cannot be avoided by stepping out of the way.
“It’s one of the most restrictive areas of use-of-force policy,” said a former police use-of-force instructor who reviewed the publicly available footage. “Shooting at a vehicle is supposed to be a last resort, not a tactic to end a confrontation.”
Vehicle tactics under scrutiny
The incident has also drawn attention to ICE’s rules governing vehicle tactics. ICE officers are not authorized to engage in high-speed pursuits, and deliberate maneuvers such as blocking or boxing in a vehicle are tightly limited. According to federal guidance cited by oversight bodies, such actions generally require supervisory approval and must be tied to an imminent threat to officers or the public — not simply an attempt to detain someone.
Experts say those restrictions are intended to prevent officers from placing themselves in the path of a vehicle, a situation that can escalate rapidly.
“Most modern law-enforcement policies are designed to avoid officer-created danger,” said a civil-rights attorney familiar with federal use-of-force standards. “If an officer steps in front of a car, that alone doesn’t justify lethal force.”
Federal officials have not said whether supervisors authorized any vehicle-blocking tactics before the shooting or whether agents attempted alternatives to lethal force.
Conflicting interpretations of the video
Authorities say the officer reasonably believed Good’s actions posed an immediate danger. DHS officials have described the vehicle as being used “in a threatening manner.”
However, independent analysts and local officials who have reviewed the video dispute that characterization. Some say the footage shows the car moving slowly and does not clearly depict an attempt to strike officers.
“The video does not support the claim that there was no other option,” one law-enforcement expert said. “That’s the core question investigators will have to answer.”
Human-rights advocates have been more direct, calling the shooting unjustified under federal standards and urging prosecutors to pursue accountability.
Investigation ongoing
The shooting remains under investigation, and no conclusions have been announced about whether the officer violated DHS policy or federal law. ICE has declined to release additional details, citing the ongoing review.
As demonstrations continue in Minneapolis and beyond, the case has become a focal point in broader debates over ICE enforcement tactics and federal oversight.
At issue is not only what the officer believed in the moment, but whether that belief aligns with the strict limits DHS places on using deadly force against someone inside a vehicle — limits designed to prevent exactly this kind of fatal encounter.