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The father of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis has voiced concerns about his son’s well-being after the incident, saying he did nothing wrong and that he’s a good person.
The agent has been identified as Jonathan Ross, a 43-year-old ICE officer and Iraq War veteran. Ross has served with federal law enforcement for nearly two decades, including time with the U.S. Border Patrol and ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations.
He was seriously injured last year when he was dragged by a vehicle during a separate enforcement action for nearly 100 yards, leaving him badly injured and needing dozens of stitches.
His father, Ed Ross, has described his son as a conservative Christian and a devoted husband and father, and noted he is married to a Filipina woman.
“She hit him,” Ed said during an interview with Daily Mail, referencing Good. “He also had an officer whose arm was in the car. He will not be charged with anything.”
He described his son as “a committed, conservative Christian, a tremendous father, a tremendous husband,” adding, “You would never find a nicer, kinder person […] I couldn’t be more proud [sic] of him.”
Federal authorities allege Good attempted to use her SUV to strike agents before Ross fired the shots that killed her on Jan. 7 during a federal immigration operation in south Minneapolis. The Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security have said Ross acted in self-defense, a position supported by the White House.
Videos of the incident circulating on social media appear to substantiate DHS’s claim.
Nevertheless, the shooting sparked widespread protests and political debate, with local officials and residents criticizing federal law enforcement tactics and questioning the justification for the use of lethal force.
An FBI investigation into the incident is ongoing, but legal experts say criminal charges against the agent are considered unlikely at this time.
Following Wednesday’s fatal shooting, President Trump swiftly commended Ross for his actions, stating that he was acting in self-defense after being hit by the protester’s car.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also expressed support for Ross, asserting that his actions were justified and labeling the protester as a domestic terrorist.
Noem clashed with CNN anchor Jake Tapper over her domestic terrorism remarks during an interview last week following the shooting.
Tapper questioned Noem’s remarks said at a post-shooting news conference during which she also said that Good was attempting to “weaponize her vehicle” against federal officers.
During the interview, Tapper said at one point that Noem’s remarks came made before an investigation into the incident had been launched.
“Well, everything that I‘ve said has been proven to be factual and the truth,” Noem said. “This administration wants to operate in transparency. I have the responsibility as the secretary of Homeland Security to know this information as soon as possible.
“I had just been in Minneapolis the day before, had already had conversations with officers on the ground and supervisors, and knew the facts and decided that the department and the people of this country deserve to know the truth about the situation of what had unfolded in Minneapolis,” Noem continued.
“With all due respect, Secretary, the first thing you said was, ‘what happened was our ICE officers were out in an enforcement action. They got stuck in the snow because of the adverse weather that is in Minneapolis. They were attempting to push out their vehicle and a woman attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle,’” Tapper said, summarizing her remarks. “That‘s not what happened. We all saw what happened.”
“It absolutely is what happened,” Noem said, adding later that Tapper doesn’t get to “change facts” to match a predetermined narrative.
