Renee Good's brothers, family attorney testify before Congress at DHS use-of-force forum

(FOX 9) - Congress members will hear testimony from the brothers of Renee Good, along with others who say they were assaulted by federal agents, during a public forum on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. examining the "violent use of force" by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents.

Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent on Jan. 7 in south Minneapolis during an immigration enforcement operation as part of Operation Metro Surge. Good was told to get out of her vehicle by an agent, and was shot multiple times trying to leave the scene. Her death sparked a series of anti-ICE protests across Minneapolis.

Luke Ganger's testimony

What they're saying:

Luke Ganger, a brother of Renee Good, gave an emotional testimony talking about trying to explain Good's death to his 4-year-old daughter. He said Good's death has caused their family great distress, and the hope is the incident would bring change in the country. So far, he says that has not happened.

"Renee Good is our sister. We’re here to ask for your help. I was talking to my 4-year-old last week when she noticed I was not doing well. She knows her aunt died, and somebody caused it to happen. She told me there are no bad people and that everyone makes mistakes. She has Renee’s spirit. The deep distress our family feels because of Nay’s loss in such a violent and unnecessary way is complicated by feelings of disbelief, distress and desperation for change. In the last few weeks, our family took some consolation thinking perhaps Nay’s death would bring about change in our country, and it has not. The completely surreal scenes taking place on the streets of Minneapolis are beyond explanation. This is not just a bad day or a rough week or isolated incidents, these encounters with federal agents are changing the community and changing many lives, including ours, forever. I still don’t know how to explain to my 4-year-old what these agents are doing when we pass by. Renee carried peace, patience and love for others wherever she went.

"The most important thing we can do is help this panel and our country understand who Nay is, and what a beautiful American we have lost. A sister, daughter, mother, partner and a friend."

Brent Ganger: ‘When I think of Renee, I think of dandelions and sunshine’

Why you should care:

Brent Ganger, the other brother of Good, spoke after Luke and used his testimony to re-read his eulogy of Good from last Saturday.

He said when he thinks of his sister, he thinks of dandelions and sunshine. He says Good chose optimism and chose to look for what was good, even in the darkest days.

"When I think of Renee, I think of dandelions and sunlight. Dandelions don’t ask permission to grow, they push through cracks in the sidewalk, through hard soil, through places where you don’t expect beauty and suddenly there they are. Unapologetically hopeful, that was Renee. Sunlight, warm and steady, life-giving. When she walked in a room, things felt lighter, even on cloudy days. Renee had a way of showing up in the world in that made you believe things were going to be OK. Not because she ignored the hardship, but because she chose optimism. She chose to look for what was good, what was possible and what was worth loving. Nay Nay loved fiercely, openly and without hesitation. Her children are, and were, her heart. As a sister she was constant, someone you cold lean on, laugh with or just sit in silence beside. She had a way of making you feel understood, even when you didn’t have the words yet. She believed in second chances, she believed that kindness mattered, and lived that belief. There are billions of people who now know her name. That’s why the image of dandelions feels so right, people try to pull them up, overlook them, dismiss them. But they keep coming back, stronger, brighter, spreading seeds of hope everywhere they land. Renee planted those seeds in all of us. Renee is not gone from us, she’s in the light that finds us on hard days. She’s in the resilience we didn’t know we had until we needed it. She’s in the laughter, the memories, the love that continues to grow. Like dandelions, like sunlight and like Renee."

Renee Good family attorney reacts

Dig deeper:

Antoni Romanucci is the attorney representing Good and her family as they pursue a civil lawsuit against federal agents involved in her death.

Romanucci says they've written to federal agencies asking for responsible handling and preservation of evidence, including Good's vehicle, records of Jonathan Ross's injuries, his cell phone and any statements he made about the use of force and protesters. At the family's request, they also had an independent autopsy done to understand her injuries, and her final moments.

"I have handled excessive force cases across the country for decades. My colleagues and I are deeply distressed at these invasions onto fellow Americans’ civil rights by our own government that have gone well beyond the initial scope of removing criminals. The occupation by ICE and CBP in our cities is way beyond their mission, leading to unnecessary provocation that causes needless harm and death," Romanucci said.

Senator Richard Blumenthal reacts

Big picture view:

Senator Richard Blumenthal, one of the lawmakers hosting the DHS use-of-force forum, called for officials on both sides of the aisle to take action.

"Thank you Brent and Luke for that really powerful appeal to the nation’s conscience. I hope to our colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I hope all of our colleagues will join in seeking the action that you just described that is so important, not just as a tribute to your sister, but as a way to prevent the kind of lawless brutality that caused her death, literally murder."