Justice Department's Civil Rights Division to Drop Investigation into Minneapolis ICE Shooting, Despite Protests and Calls for Action.
In a move that has raised eyebrows among civil rights advocates and lawmakers, prosecutors in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division have been informed that they will not be taking on an investigation into the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis.
According to sources familiar with the matter, leadership in the division's criminal section has told staff that there will be no probe into the incident, which sparked widespread protests nationwide. Normally, after a high-profile incident involving a fatal shooting by an officer, attorneys from the criminal section would fly out to the scene to conduct an investigation.
However, multiple career prosecutors offered to do so in this case but were told not to pursue it. The decision has raised questions about how far the FBI's investigation into the shooting will go and whether the Justice Department is truly committed to holding those responsible accountable for their actions.
The incident itself was marked by controversy from the start, with the ICE officer claiming that Good had used her car as a weapon in an act of "domestic terrorism" - a claim that sparked immediate backlash from state and city officials. The mayor of Minneapolis even labeled the self-defense claims as "bulls***".
Despite the department's decision not to pursue an investigation, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has said that the use of deadly force by law enforcement officials can sometimes be justified. However, this stance seems at odds with the Justice Department's own policies and precedents.
The incident also echoes a pattern of reduced scrutiny from the Justice Department on matters of excessive force by law enforcement officers under the Trump administration. Last year, the Civil Rights Division sought to downplay the conviction of a former Louisville police officer who was convicted of violating Breonna Taylor's civil rights, asking a federal judge to sentence him to just one day in prison.
The lack of action from the Justice Department has sparked widespread outrage and calls for greater accountability from lawmakers and community leaders. As protests continue nationwide, it remains to be seen whether the FBI's investigation will uncover any meaningful wrongdoing by those involved in Good's killing.
In a move that has raised eyebrows among civil rights advocates and lawmakers, prosecutors in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division have been informed that they will not be taking on an investigation into the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis.
According to sources familiar with the matter, leadership in the division's criminal section has told staff that there will be no probe into the incident, which sparked widespread protests nationwide. Normally, after a high-profile incident involving a fatal shooting by an officer, attorneys from the criminal section would fly out to the scene to conduct an investigation.
However, multiple career prosecutors offered to do so in this case but were told not to pursue it. The decision has raised questions about how far the FBI's investigation into the shooting will go and whether the Justice Department is truly committed to holding those responsible accountable for their actions.
The incident itself was marked by controversy from the start, with the ICE officer claiming that Good had used her car as a weapon in an act of "domestic terrorism" - a claim that sparked immediate backlash from state and city officials. The mayor of Minneapolis even labeled the self-defense claims as "bulls***".
Despite the department's decision not to pursue an investigation, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has said that the use of deadly force by law enforcement officials can sometimes be justified. However, this stance seems at odds with the Justice Department's own policies and precedents.
The incident also echoes a pattern of reduced scrutiny from the Justice Department on matters of excessive force by law enforcement officers under the Trump administration. Last year, the Civil Rights Division sought to downplay the conviction of a former Louisville police officer who was convicted of violating Breonna Taylor's civil rights, asking a federal judge to sentence him to just one day in prison.
The lack of action from the Justice Department has sparked widespread outrage and calls for greater accountability from lawmakers and community leaders. As protests continue nationwide, it remains to be seen whether the FBI's investigation will uncover any meaningful wrongdoing by those involved in Good's killing.
! I'm literally shaking with anger thinking about what happened to Renee Nicole Good. The ICE officer's claims of her using her car as a weapon are just plain ridiculous 
and the fact that the Justice Department isn't taking action on it is just infuriating.
. But nope, the officer gets to claim it was "domestic terrorism" and that's all they need? It's just so not cool 
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It seems like some folks in power are more interested in covering their own backsides than actually doing justice.
. And the fact that the Justice Department isn't taking this investigation seriously is just another example of how out of touch they seem with everyday people's concerns 
.
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. i mean they're supposed to protect civil rights not just sweep stuff under the rug? 
this case is super sus especially with that "domestic terrorism" claim... sounds like ice was just trying to cover their own behinds 
the fact that they're not even gonna investigate is a major red flag 
.
this is a huge red flag for me - the Justice Dept is basically saying that if an ICE officer kills someone they just say "oh well", no investigation needed 
its like the Trump admin all over again, where cops are above the law and anyone else gets held accountable. i mean what even is "domestic terrorism" when an innocent person is trying to escape? this is not just about Renee Good's death, its about setting a precedent that we can just ignore the rule of law whenever it's convenient for those in power 
. Did u see that 37-yr-old Renee Nicole Good was killed by an ICE officer & now the Justice Dept's Civil Rights Division ain't even botherin' to investigate 
. And u know what? Most of 'em went unpunished 
:
. And honestly, what even is an "act of domestic terrorism" that justifies killing someone? 
this is so messed up... 37 yrs old woman gets killed by ICE officer & no one wants to investigate 
what's next? gonna let cops kill people w/o consequences too? 
i don't trust the system anymore 
and btw i cant believe the mayor said that about the ice officer's claim lol sounds like he was trying 2 cover his own arse. idk man, this whole thing just feels like a total slap in the face 2 all the people who lost loved ones 2 police brutality 
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even the mayor said Good's defense team wasn't even asking for justice, they were just saying 'stop shooting'! 
and now you're telling us that we won't be getting any answers or accountability from anyone involved? 
i mean what even is the point of having a justice department if they're not gonna hold law enforcement accountable for their actions? it's like they're just giving a free pass to whoever killed her 
. It's like they're trying to send a message that cops are above the law or something. Newsflash: they're not! They're still human beings with powers and privileges that can be abused. We need to make sure we hold them accountable for their actions, especially when it comes to things like this.
. Either way, I know that there are people who care about justice and equality, and we'll keep pushing for it 
that claim from the officer about "domestic terrorism" is straight out of a bad movie and it's not even like it's being taken seriously. i'm so frustrated that our leaders are more worried about covering their own backsides than doing what's right. and to think they're saying that deadly force by law enforcement can be justified... that's just not true 
. It's just so frustrating when we know that someone has been harmed or killed due to excessive force, but nobody does anything about it 
. This is why mindfulness and self-care are so important - we gotta stay calm and focused in the face of injustice 
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The Justice Department's decision to not pursue an investigation is a huge slap in the face to the community and it just shows they don't care 
. The FBI should be all over this case like white on rice 
! #JusticeForRenee #AccountabilityMatters #NotMy ICE