The Hennepin County Attorney's office and Minnesota Attorney General's office have announced Friday a joint effort to collect and preserve evidence in the investigation into the shooting and death of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis this past Wednesday.
After initial cooperation with the FBI, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension announced they were being cut out of the ongoing federal investigation.
"Earlier this week, our community witnessed a horrific event on our streets," said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. Some saw it in person and many more have seen it circulating online. I have been on the phone and in meetings with law enforcement, justice leaders and elected officials, discussing ways to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation can occur and be shared with our office."
Moriarty said their efforts are not because they have concerns with the FBI investigation.
"Our efforts are not an attack on the FBI. We have had a strong working relationship with the local FBI field office throughout my administration," Moriarty stated. "Based on previous experience with FBI processes, we are concerned that the evidence obtained in an investigation only conducted at the federal level will not be shared with our office for review."
Moriarty notes that in the past, that information was shared, and she also said expectations in the community were for greater transparency on any decision made. That comes despite claims from some, including former U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger, that the federal investigation wouldn't be fair or complete.
"We have no preconceived opinion on what the evidence will show," Moriarty added, noting it was a complicated legal issue. "Our goal is that a thorough investigation is completed at the local level."
"I agree that there is no conclusion that anyone can reach in good faith at this time. There is too much evidence to be evaluated. What we're doing here is asking the public that may have video, there may be people who were on the scene who saw what happened, who have have some kind of evidence that bears truth on this case," Ellison adds.
Moriarty said the FBI currently has Good's car, shell casings, and all of the witness interviews. She says they have no issue with the FBI holding evidence, but explained the BCA has no access to the evidence which is unusual.
Moriarty also refutes comments from Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem that there is no local jurisdiction locally, although both she and Ellison were careful not to be critical of any federal investigation, just saying Minnesota should be a part of it.
"We do have jurisdiction to make this decision. We can't make any decision, however, if there's not evidence submitted to our office," said Moriarty.
Minnesota U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith are also cosigning a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi imploring her to re-enlist the help of the Minnesota BCA in the investigation of the killing of Good.
In the letter, the senators point out that the feds and state law enforcement worked together most recently after the political assassination of Melissa Hortman and following the Annunciation church school shooting.
They point to them as examples of the extensive expertise state officials can lend. No reason has been given for the FBI to have reversed course and pulling the BCA from the investigation.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also joining city and state officials in demanding the Minnesota BCA be included in an investigation.
"The fact that they are some for some reason concerned about having other, by the way police involved, other law enforcement involved through the BCA, that is wildly concerning," said Frey.
Mayor Frey says there's no reason the Minnesota BCA should be shut out and taken away from the table when they have consistently run these investigations before.
"They have done so without bias," he said Friday. "They've done so with a great deal of expertise. This is not some radical way out there group. This is a group that is formed by experts who understand how to investigate. Many of them have been police officers themselves."
Frey also added that the claim by U.S. Vice President JD Vance that the ICE officer, identified at Jonathan Ross, has "absolute immunity" is not based in fact.
"That's not true in any law school in America whether it's Yale or Villanova or anywhere else. That's not true if you break the law," Frey, who has a law degree, explained. "If you do things that are outside the area of what your job responsibilities require, and this clearly seems to be - at the very least, at the very least - this is gray. At the most, it is what you heard people say back here. This is a problem and it should be investigated."