Minnesota trooper charged for killing of motorist
MINNEAPOLIS (WISH) — The Minnesota state trooper who fatally shot a motorist during a July 2023 traffic stop is being charged with murder.
The county attorney announced charges after a months-long review of the case, which included the use of an outside deadly force expert, according to local media and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
County attorney Mary Moriarty announced Wednesday that trooper Ryan Londregan is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and second-degree manslaughter for the shooting that killed Ricky Cobb II, according to KSTP-TV, a Minneapolis television station.
“A critical component of the work of the Minnesota State Patrol is engaging with drivers during motor vehicle stops,” Moriarty said in announcing the decision, adding that Londregan didn’t follow his training in this case, according to the station.
The shooting happened after what the Minnesota Department of Public Safety previously said a state patrol trooper saw a Ford Fusion without any taillights traveling on I-94 just after 1:50 a.m. on July 31.
Minneapolis news outlets reported Cobb was wanted in Ramsey County for a “felony-level violation.”
Records show Cobb violated a no-contact order, according to KARE-TV, another Minneapolis television station.
KARE reported body camera video released by Minnesota state patrol officials showed troopers attempting to detain Cobb, who refused to exit the car. A trooper at the driver’s side attempted to unbuckle Cobb’s seatbelt as Cobb’s hand moved to the gear-shifter, the video showed.
KSTP reported charging documents laid out probable cause for the charges.
“Troopers tried to detain Cobb, but DPS says he refused to get out of the vehicle. At that point, Cobb’s hands were not on the steering wheel or gear shifter, and he had not stepped on the brake,” it said, citing charging documents.
Then, according to the charging documents obtained by the station, as troopers tried to remove Cobb from the vehicle, he started driving away. The other trooper’s “entire torso was in the vehicle, leaning over Cobb,” and that’s when Londregan pulled out his gun and yelled, “Get out of the car now!”
Londregan fired his weapon twice several tenths of a second after yelling from an open passenger door, both stations reported.
Londregan is the first officer to be charged by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty since she was elected after running a campaign promising police accountability.