ICE shooting in Minneapolis draws legal questions from Kansas City experts

ByJordan FremstadPublished: Jan. 8, 2026 at 5:56 PM CST KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) -

Legal experts raised questions regarding an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer’s decision to shoot and kill a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis. The incident has drawn nationwide attention as investigators examine the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting of Renee Good on Wednesday in a Minneapolis neighborhood.

John Picerno, a Kansas City attorney with 32 years of criminal defense experience, said the driver appeared to commit two misdemeanor offenses by attempting to drive away. Picerno pointed to a specific detail in the video he wants people to notice.“I don’t think the officer was justified in using lethal force,” Picerno said. “It backs up, first of all. Typically, you wouldn’t associate backing up with an aggressive maneuver to run into some officers who were in front of her.”

Woman fatally shot by ICE agents confirmed to have Kansas City ties The Department of Homeland Security said the ICE officer acted in self-defense. The Department of Justice states in its Justice Manual that firearms should not be used simply to disable a moving vehicle.

Seth Fallik, chair of criminal justice at the University of Missouri-Kansas City who specializes in officer decision-making, said the case depends on conversations that happened prior to the shooting. He said officers have discretion in these scenarios.“The law doesn’t require that the officer be struck,” Fallik said.Legal experts raised questions regarding an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer's decision to shoot and kill a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis.(KCTV5/Jordan Fremstad)Fallik said investigators will examine whether de-escalation opportunities were missed. He also said investigators will gather context and details leading up to the shooting.“Are there opportunities for de-escalation that were, sort of, passed up?” Fallik said. “Be cautious of sort of interpreting snippets, right, not really capturing the totality of the events.”Fallik noted that ICE officers are often not from the communities they work in, which can lead to conflict because they lack experience working with those populations.

Missouri bill would jail ICE agents who hide identities after fatal shooting. Experts said federal investigators will take the lead on the case because of the nationwide attention it has received. Body camera video and other potential video angles will be crucial for investigators to consider.Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.