Minnesota prosecutors have finally gotten their hands on evidence that federal officials had been hoarding like a dragon with a grudge, related to the fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti during protests earlier this year. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced the acquisition of hard drives containing the previously withheld evidence, including Good's car, statements, and police body-camera video, in a video statement that had the energy of someone who just found their lost keys. "Our democracy requires it," Moriarty said, presumably not referring to the six-month wait.

Good, an unarmed 37-year-old mother, was shot dead by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on January 7 while sitting in her car. A private autopsy revealed three gunshot wounds, including one to the head. Because apparently, being a U.S. citizen and a mother doesn't grant immunity from being shot by federal officers during an immigration crackdown. Pretti, a nurse observing immigration officers, was killed by CBP officials on January 24. The family's attorney, Steve Schleicher, expressed cautious optimism but noted that the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, Daniel Rosen, refused to confirm any cooperation agreement, leaving the family to continue begging for basic information. "No family should be required to beg federal authorities to do their job," Schleicher said, adding a sentiment that seems obvious but apparently needs stating.

The standoff between state and federal authorities over evidence had been ongoing for months, with the FBI previously refusing to share its investigation files. Governor Tim Walz demanded an "impartial" investigation, which is a bit like asking a cat to be impartial about a laser pointer. Julio Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national shot during the same crackdown, saw his shooter charged with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in May. The U.S. Attorney's office and the Hennepin County Attorney's office did not return requests for comment, probably because they were busy debating what "cooperation" means.