Did Renee Good's car actually hit Jonathan Ross?

1. The recorded moments: what the videos plainly show

Published footage captures Ross walking to the front of Good’s parked SUV, speaking and filming on his cellphone, then firing three shots as the vehicle moves forward; the car subsequently collides with a parked vehicle and a light pole ^{[5] [1]}. Lawfare’s close read of the recordings stresses that Ross remained upright as he fired and that bystanders and assisting officers then ran to the driver’s door while the SUV crashed, a sequence consistent across multiple outlets that analyzed the video ^{[5] [6]}.

2. Claims that Ross was struck — and why they persist

Federal spokespeople and some supporters have said Ross was hit by Good’s car, characterizing his actions as self-defense, and those accounts have been amplified on social platforms and by political figures ^{[1] [7]}. Fundraisers and some media reports likewise framed the officer as injured by the vehicle, and social posts have repeatedly asserted he was run over — narratives that have driven public opinion and fundraising for Ross ^{[7] [8]}.

3. Independent video analysis and officials’ caveats

Multiple independent reviews and major outlets note that the footage does not clearly show an officer being struck: The New York Times and other analyses report there is “no clear visual evidence” that Ross was hit or on the verge of being hit, and they emphasize Ross’s proximity to the vehicle as a contested factor in evaluating his choices ^{[1] [2]}. Forbes and Times Now also highlight Mayor Jacob Frey’s public statement that Good did not run over Ross and question the visual basis for the administration’s self-defense claim ^{[4] [2]}.

4. Medical reports, official statements, and differing interpretations

Federal and local briefings have said Ross suffered internal bleeding to the torso after the incident, but officials have not provided detailed medical evidence publicly, and reporting describes the extent and cause of that bleeding as unclear ^{[3] [9]}. Journalistic accounts note the government’s emphasis on Ross’s injuries even while video evidence does not corroborate an apparent impact, creating a factual gap between claimed injuries and what is visible on camera ^{[3] [2]}.

5. Why the question matters legally and politically

Whether the car struck Ross is central to determinations of whether his use of deadly force could be considered reasonable self-defense; legal analysts caution that the answer depends on more than a single frame of video and will require fuller evidence, witness accounts, medical records, and prosecutorial review ^{[5] [10]}. Meanwhile, partisan and fundraising narratives have amplified contested claims about the vehicle strike, shaping public sentiment before those investigative materials are made public ^{[7] [8]}.

6. Bottom line — did Renee Good’s car actually hit Jonathan Ross?

Based on the publicly available video and multiple news analyses, there is no clear visual evidence that Renee Good’s vehicle struck Jonathan Ross; officials have asserted Ross suffered internal injuries, but reporters note the lack of publicly disclosed medical detail tying those injuries to being run over, leaving the crucial factual link unproven in available sources ^{[2] [3] [1]}. In short: assertions that Good “ran over” or “hit” Ross are disputed and not substantiated by clear footage or fully disclosed medical documentation in the reporting reviewed ^{[1] [2] [3]}.