CBS News didn't just stir up debate on social media with its report about an ICE officer's injuries in Minneapolis, it set off a fight inside its own newsroom. On Wednesday, the network posted an "exclusive" on X and its website saying officer Jonathan Ross, who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, had "internal bleeding to the torso," citing two unnamed US officials briefed on his condition. The claim drew immediate scrutiny over its vague wording and reliance on anonymous government sources, especially given that video from the scene shows Ross walking away after the shooting, the Guardian reports.
Emails reviewed by the Guardian show some CBS staffers were uneasy before and after publication. A medical producer urged colleagues to pin down what "internal bleeding" actually meant—did Ross need surgery or any treatment at all? Senior vice president David Reiter noted in an internal email that "internal bleeding" can describe anything from a bruise to a life-threatening injury and reminded colleagues they had footage of Ross leaving the scene under his own power. One staffer said there was "huge internal concern" and described the report as looking like a leak from the Trump administration; another said it felt like CBS was helping justify the shooting to maintain access to sources. Others in the newsroom saw the back-and-forth as normal editorial vetting.
A CBS spokesperson defended the decision, saying the story went through the network's "rigorous editorial process" and was judged reportable based on the sourcing and reporters. ABC News repeated the injury claim briefly in a live blog, also citing unnamed officials but offering no further medical detail. Outlets including the New York Times and Fox News mentioned it as well, with Fox quoting a Homeland Security spokesperson while noting the severity of the bleeding was unclear. The AP reports that a Homeland Security source said the officer was injured "but did not provide details about the severity of the injuries, and the agency did not respond to questions about the extent of the bleeding, exactly how he suffered the injury, when it was diagnosed or his medical treatment."
Ross attorney Chris Madel, a Republican who is running for governor of Minnesota, declined to comment to the AP on the reported injuries. The dispute comes as CBS faces broader questions about its coverage of the Trump administration under editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who took over in October, the Guardian notes. The network, now under Paramount Skydance, backed by Trump ally and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, recently landed an exclusive interview in which Trump suggested CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil wouldn't have his job if Kamala Harris had won the 2024 election.
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