Minnesota prosecutors have announced that they have secured key evidence in their investigations into the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during protests over a federal immigration enforcement crackdown earlier this year.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the hard drives of previously withheld evidence had been obtained through co-operation with federal partners. The materials include police body-camera footage, witness statements and other evidence, along with the damaged car Good was driving.
Ms Moriarty said investigators had begun analysing the evidence, promising a thorough and transparent process. Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed in her car while leaving an anti-immigration protest in Minneapolis on 7 January as US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents surged through the region. Her death and that of Pretti, another protester, sparked national outrage and calls to rein in immigration enforcement.
At the end of June, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Ms Moriarty requested a federal judge to push back deadlines in their lawsuit against the US Department of Justice, citing ongoing discussions with the FBI about information sharing. The federal government's attorneys signed onto the motion.
Mr Ellison said he remained deeply troubled that the federal government had spent more than half a year attempting to conceal the evidence. He hoped the disclosure marked the beginning of a major course correction.
