Photo Credit: AFP via Getty Images / Octavia Jones / Victims posters on a building
(MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.) – On September 22, Operation Metro Surge victims' loved ones stood before Congress to request a full investigation into the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Pretti and Good were both killed by ICE Agents during the course of the large operation.
Renee Good, a legal U.S. citizen, was shot by ICE Agent Jonathan Ross on January 7 during a traffic stop. Immigration authorities alleged that she had attempted to kill or harm agents, but several witnesses came forward to dispute those claims.
Good was allegedly blocking the road; after a brief discussion, she and her wife, Rebecca, attempted to leave the scene, at which point Ross fired three shots. The ICE-released and witness-released videos both show ICE agents circling her vehicle and a conversation taking place between Good, her wife Rebecca, and the agents. That’s where similarities end.
ICE’s video shows her accelerating and seemingly hitting one of the officers, but the witness video displays a careful attempt to leave the situation. Once Rebecca gets into the vehicle, Good begins to leave slowly as officers move out of the way.
Bodycam video footage clearly shows her increasing speed only after Ross stuck his gun in the window and fired the first shot. At no point did Good get out of the vehicle, threaten officers, or use her vehicle to run over an officer.
Photo Credit: Instagram / stillwerise / Rebecca Good statement
Hours after the shooting, President Donald Trump blamed Good for her death, publicly stating she had “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE officer,” a statement now proven false by video evidence. Several weeks later, he referred to her death as a tragedy and ultimately said agents can make mistakes.
Veteran’s Administration ICU Nurse Alex Pretti, also a legal U.S. citizen, was shot at by two federal immigration agents on January 24 while attempting to help a woman who had been shoved to the ground by officers during the citywide sweep. The two agents who fired were Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez.
Stella Carlson captured video of Pretti being surrounded by agents before he was shot. Later, ICE officers tried to say that Pretti was a threat because he had a gun. A video that surfaced proved the statement false. While Pretti was a legal gun owner with a permit to carry, he at no point pulled or aimed the gun at agents during the confrontation.
The video shows him being maced (pepper-sprayed) by ICE officers while helping the woman up. No less than six officers then pinned him down. After another officer appeared on the scene and took something from Pretti’s waistband, one of the original officers began shooting.
Photo Credit: American Nurses Association / Statement on Alex Pretti’s death
At the Capitol on September 22, Good’s mother, Donna Ganger, expressed the devastating loss she has faced, saying in part, “We will never, ever be the same.” She also identified as a Republican who had voted for Trump,
Goods' brother, Brent Ganger, expressed the harm ICE has inflicted on a larger scale, saying, “...no one is safe while ICE continues to terrorize us.”
Carlson, who testified regarding Pretti’s murder, addressed lawmakers as well: “I never expected to be someone testifying before you today, and I certainly never expected to bear witness to the final moments of a caring, peaceful, and dedicated member of my community.”
To add to or correct any information in this report, please contact me at kristin.h@lead4earth.org.
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