By , and
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Renee Good’s former father-in-law said he always had a positive relationship with her and remembered her as “outgoing” and “a real good person.”
Her death last Wednesday following a fatal encounter with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis has been “really hard” on the family, Tim Macklin Sr. said in an interview Tuesday.
He said Good and his son, Tim Macklin Jr., were married for roughly five years before they separated. They had a 6-year-old son together, who was one of her three children. Macklin Jr. died in 2023 at age 36, according to an online obituary.
The elder Macklin, a preacher in Knoxville, said that he remained in touch with Good over the years and that she would bring his grandson for visits about twice a year.
“I think she’s a great person,” he said.
Tim Macklin Sr.NBC News
He said he last saw Good in March.
Macklin said he was shocked by the incident involving an ICE officer, saying he had never known Good to be an activist.
The Minneapolis City Council said Good was out “caring for her neighbors” when she was killed. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn, said in a separate statement that she was “heartbroken and angry” about Good’s death.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Good was shot after people began blocking officers during an immigration-related operation. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said at a news conference that Good ignored commands to get out of the car she was driving and tried to run over an ICE officer in an “attempt to kill or to cause bodily harm to agents.” That officer was the one who shot Good, according to Noem.
Local officials and eyewitnesses have disputed that account, and the case remains under investigation by the FBI.
A portrait of Rene Nicole Good at a makeshift memorial in front of the U.S. Embassy in Berlin.Sean Gallup / Getty Images
Cellphone video that captured part of the encounter shows officers ordering Good out of an SUV. One of the officers can be seen trying to open the driver’s side door before the vehicle reverses a few feet. As the SUV begins to drive forward, gunshots ring out, the video shows. The SUV then crashes into a parked car.
Noem said the officer was struck by the vehicle and treated at the hospital before being released.
Macklin said that he doesn’t agree with the choices Good made that day but that he is heartbroken that she lost her life.
“ICE, they’re just doing their job. Do I agree with everything? No,” he said. “But at the same time, we got to just trust God and not try to interfere; we got to submit ourselves to authorities.”
He said that after having watched the video, he believes the ICE officer was struck by the car Good was driving.
“I did see the video, where the agent, you know, he was being hit,” Macklin said. “When you’re worried about your life, you’ll do things suddenly and without thinking. It’s just bad for everybody. I hate that Renee lost her life. I mean, like I said, I love Renee. I hate it for Becca [Good, her partner], I hate it for [my grandson], I hate it for everybody, I hate it for the agent, I hate it for the Trump administration. It’s not good in no means for anybody. It’s just a bad situation.”
Macklin said the family is not only grappling with the sudden loss but also trying to figure out what’s best for his grandson.
“I don’t even know what to do. I’m praying every day,” he said. “We just want everybody to pray for that little dude. He’s just a child.”
Becca Good said in a statement to MPR News that she “leaves behind three extraordinary children; the youngest is just six years old and already lost his father. I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him. That the people who did this had fear and anger in their hearts, and we need to show them a better way.”
Macklin recalled how Good was always “gentle” and patient with his grandson. He said he has been in touch with Good’s partner and wants his grandson “to be raised into the Lord.”
“He’s so smart. I’ve never seen a child so smart as his age. He’s really outspoken, he has no filter but a lot of joy, a lot of energy, a typical 6-year-old,” he said, adding that he wants what’s best for his grandson.
Kathy Park and Dan Gallo reported from Knoxville and Minyvonne Burke from Pittsburgh.
News
Months After the Incident, a Three-Minute Video Submitted by a Driver Continues to Generate Discussion — What Happened to Weston Higginbotham in Japan?
The mystery surrounding missing college student Ethan Carter had already captivated the nation for weeks. Search teams had combed forests, train stations, mountain roads, and remote villages. Investigators had reviewed hundreds of hours of surveillance footage. Friends and family desperately searched for answers. Yet despite all those efforts, one question remained unanswered. What happened during […]
The Driver Who Once Transported Weston Higginbotham Has Submitted a Three-Minute Video to Police, Renewing Interest in the Question: What Happened to Weston Higginbotham in Japan?
The mystery surrounding missing college student Ethan Carter had already captivated the nation for weeks. Search teams had combed forests, train stations, mountain roads, and remote villages. Investigators had reviewed hundreds of hours of surveillance footage. Friends and family desperately searched for answers. Yet despite all those efforts, one question remained unanswered. What happened during […]
A Three-Minute Video Submitted to Police by the Driver Who Once Transported Weston Higginbotham Is Drawing New Attention — What Happened to Weston Higginbotham in Japan?
The mystery surrounding missing college student Ethan Carter had already captivated the nation for weeks. Search teams had combed forests, train stations, mountain roads, and remote villages. Investigators had reviewed hundreds of hours of surveillance footage. Friends and family desperately searched for answers. Yet despite all those efforts, one question remained unanswered. What happened during […]
🔥 THE WAIT FOR LANDMAN SEASON 3 IS NEARLY OVER — AND SUNDAYS MAY NEVER BE THE SAME. 🛢️ More power struggles, more explosive drama, and a release timeline that’s already generating buzz
Landman Season 3 Is Coming — And Fans Are Already Clearing Their Sundays The wait for Landman Season 3 may not be over yet, but that hasn’t stopped fans from preparing for what could become one of the biggest television events of the coming year. Ever since the explosive conclusion of the previous season, viewers […]
The Entire Courtroom Fell Silent When the Victim’s Twin Brother Looked Directly at the Killer and Uttered Just Six Words
The courtroom fell silent as Ethan Walker stood before reporters for the first time since the conclusion of the highly publicized murder trial that had gripped the nation for months. Only a year earlier, Ethan and his twin brother, Ryan Walker, had been preparing for graduation, discussing college plans, and looking forward to the future. […]
A Shocking Courtroom Moment: The Victim’s Twin Brother Bluntly Denounced the Killer With a Six-Word Statement
The courtroom fell silent as Ethan Walker stood before reporters for the first time since the conclusion of the highly publicized murder trial that had gripped the nation for months. Only a year earlier, Ethan and his twin brother, Ryan Walker, had been preparing for graduation, discussing college plans, and looking forward to the future. […]
End of content
No more pages to load
