Newly published cellphone video filmed by the federal immigration agent who fired the fatal shots in a Jan. 7 encounter shows a different angle of the moments before 37-year-old Renee Macklin Good was killed, adding detail and raising fresh questions about official accounts, according to attorneys, analysts and city leaders who reviewed it.
The emergence of the agent-shot clip matters because it fills gaps left by earlier bystander footage and contradicting statements from political figures and federal officials. The recording, released days after the shooting, captures commands yelled at Good as agents surrounded her SUV, the vehicle’s brief movement, the agent’s exclamation and three gunshots. Investigators are now comparing multiple videos, radio traffic and physical evidence to determine whether the use of deadly force met legal standards. The case remains a flashpoint in Minneapolis, where leaders are pushing for transparency while the federal investigation proceeds.
Good was shot shortly after 10 a.m. on Wed., Jan. 7, near 34th Street and Portland Avenue in south Minneapolis during a federal operation involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Earlier clips filmed from sidewalks and apartments showed agents with weapons drawn approaching a dark SUV and shouting commands. In the new angle, which appears to be recorded from the shooter’s phone, the agent moves around the vehicle as other officers shout for Good to exit. The SUV reverses, then turns forward. The camera jolts upward amid a grunt from the agent, followed by three rapid shots. The SUV lurches away and crashes into a parked car seconds later. The recording captures a profane utterance from off-camera as agents converge. The video does not, by itself, resolve whether the agent was struck by the vehicle or whether alternative tactics were feasible in that instant, analysts said.
Officials identified the driver as Good, 37, who was pronounced dead at the scene from gunshot wounds. Family members described her as a creative, steady presence who had relatives and friends in Minneapolis. A separate set of videos posted online from witnesses shows different vantage points of the same short encounter. In one, agents can be heard repeating commands; in another, the SUV’s wheels can be seen rotating as it angles away from a curb. City leaders said those clips and the newly surfaced recording will be central to understanding movement, distance and timing. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the department secured a perimeter after the shooting while federal authorities took control of the immediate scene, consistent with protocols when federal agents are involved.
Federal officials initially framed the killing as a defensive response to a driver who posed an imminent threat. National figures repeated that Good “ran over” an officer. Early reviews of public videos — including the agent’s own recording — prompted pushback from local officials and outside analysts who said the clips do not conclusively show a direct strike. Use-of-force experts interviewed by local stations said the key legal question will center on whether the agent reasonably perceived an immediate threat of death or serious injury at the exact moment he fired. The standard focuses on the officer’s perspective and does not require proof of actual impact, though any contact, speed and direction of the vehicle will factor into assessments.
The recording’s audio could be significant. Commands, pauses and the timing between the grunt and the gunfire may help investigators reconstruct whether the agent was moving out of the vehicle’s path or whether an escape route existed. Analysts also pointed to the position of other agents in relation to the SUV, a consideration when firing risks hitting colleagues. Separate bystander clips show agents at both sides of the vehicle; still frames circulating online show muzzle flashes near the driver’s side window. The number of shots — three — aligns with evidence markers photographed at the scene, according to people familiar with the response.
What remains unknown is the exact sequence of contact and whether the agent was brushed, struck or narrowly missed. The phone camera swings toward the sky at the critical moment, obscuring any impact. Investigators are expected to match the video’s internal time stamps to body-camera sync points, radio logs and 911 calls. They will also chart trajectories through the SUV’s windshield and frame, measures that can indicate where the shooter stood and how quickly the vehicle moved. Statements reportedly captured from nearby microphones — including the shouted commands and the expletive after the shots — are likely to be analyzed for clarity and context.
At the curb where Good was shot, neighbors described a rush of sirens and shouted orders. Several said they saw agents approach with rifles as passersby began filming. A resident who watched from a second-floor window said the SUV “jerked, turned and then there were three cracks.” Another described officers pulling a line of yellow tape across the block and marking shell casings near the driver’s side of a parked car. In the hours after the shooting, activists and neighbors gathered at the intersection, leaving flowers and hand-lettered signs. The street reopened later that evening after technicians finished photographs and measurements.
The federal review is being led by agencies that investigate agent-involved shootings. Parallel inquiries by local authorities include standard scene documentation and witness interviews. City officials pressed for access to evidence and vowed to release non-sensitive material once allowed. The mayor’s office said leaders have asked for a comprehensive briefing after lab results return and video analysis is complete. The county medical examiner is expected to release a final autopsy summarizing wound paths and the official cause and manner of death. The names of agents involved have not been formally released by federal authorities in public briefings. A separate civil-rights evaluation could follow depending on findings.
Minneapolis has spent the past five years under a microscope over police use of force and public trust. The killing of George Floyd in 2020 reshaped local politics and policing efforts; officials said the Jan. 7 shooting by a federal agent reactivated concerns about transparency, scene control and rapid release of evidence. The city emphasized it does not direct federal operations. Nonetheless, residents and national commentators quickly drew comparisons to earlier cases where video became the central piece of evidence. Media organizations compiled frame-by-frame timelines from the new clip alongside bystander footage to assess vehicle speed, agent positioning and distance between parties.
Beyond the immediate case, the new angle fueled partisan debate. Some high-profile voices argued the clip proved the agent faced a lethal threat from a moving vehicle; others said it showed the danger had passed as the SUV veered away. Legal experts cautioned against drawing hard conclusions from a single vantage point. Minnesota law and federal case law generally allow deadly force to stop a vehicle if an officer reasonably believes the vehicle poses an imminent threat, but policies in many departments discourage shooting at moving cars because rounds can miss, ricochet or endanger bystanders. Those policy considerations may surface in any administrative review of tactics, even if prosecutors find the force lawful.
Attorneys following the case said the investigation will likely hinge on a few core questions: Was the agent in the SUV’s direct path when he fired? Did he have a clear avenue to move aside? Were other officers or civilians at risk if the vehicle continued? What did the agent perceive at the exact instant of the gunfire? Forensic work on the vehicle will attempt to answer some of those questions by documenting impact points, paint transfers and glass patterns. Analysts will also examine whether the SUV’s wheels were turned away or toward the agent and how quickly it accelerated across the short distance before it crashed.
In the days after the shooting, Good’s relatives released statements describing her as loved by family and friends. Supporters held vigils at the intersection, and community groups offered counseling and legal referrals to witnesses who provided statements. Separate gatherings called for federal agencies to release all unedited recordings and for independent experts to evaluate the footage. A few blocks away, businesses reopened under a steady police presence as curiosity seekers stopped to look at scuffed pavement and taped-up notices on light poles.
Officials asked for patience as they complete a methodical review. The timeline includes full interviews with every agent on scene, collection of digital evidence from phones and any body-worn cameras, and synchronization of all videos to a master clock. Prosecutors will then decide whether to present the case to a grand jury or issue a charging decision directly. Administrative reviews will examine whether policies governing pursuits, vehicle containment and crossfire risks were followed. If findings diverge — for example, a lawful shooting paired with policy violations — agencies could release separate conclusions and timelines for discipline.
As of Sun., Jan. 25, officials had not announced a charging decision. The next milestone is expected to be a status update from investigators once lab analyses and video synchronization are complete. City leaders said they intend to share process updates without compromising the case file. The newly surfaced video remains a focal point of debate, but investigators emphasized that it is one piece of a broader evidence puzzle they are working to assemble.
Author note: Last updated January 25, 2026.