US investigators will face a host of thorny questions in determining whether the fatal shooting of a woman by a federal agent in Minneapolis last week was justified, as local and national officials recount drastically different accounts of an incident that sparked nationwide protests.

Several videos have emerged showing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross firing at and killing Renee Good, 37, while she was behind the wheel of her burgundy Honda in a residential neighbourhood of the northern city.

President Donald Trump and his administration have described Good as a "domestic terrorist" who was trying to run over the ICE agent, while state officials have said Good, a mother of three, was trying to leave the scene.

Former law enforcement officials told the BBC that a review of the incident could plausibly find the agent was justified in using deadly force because he believed Good was a threat.

But they said Trump officials' strong public statements in support of Ross in the immediate aftermath of the shooting could complicate the investigation.