Prosecutors are preparing to drop charges of murder and manslaughter against a white Minnesota state trooper who shot and killed Ricky Cobb II, a Black motorist. The decision follows recent statements from the trooper’s lawyer and a new analysis of video footage from the incident.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has filed paperwork to dismiss the charges after Trooper Ryan Londregan’s defense team disclosed potential testimony in an April court session. They claimed the trooper believed Cobb was reaching for a firearm, and a Minnesota State Patrol trainer reportedly stated that officers were not instructed to avoid shooting into moving vehicles.
According to a statement released by the county attorney’s office on Sunday, this evidence would have made it difficult for prosecutors to prove that Londregan’s use of force was not justified as a law enforcement officer.
The U.S. Supreme Court (Via Ben Kane/Shutterstock)
Londregan’s attorney, Chris Madel, expressed his reaction to dropping the charges to the Star Tribune, stating, “It’s about time. That’s all I’ll say on the record.”
Bakari Sellers, an attorney representing Cobb’s family, voiced disappointment with the prosecutors’ decision, suggesting they were influenced unfairly. Sellers stated to the Star Tribune, “They were pressured. There’s no other way to put it.”
Londregan, aged 27, pleaded not guilty to the charges on May 15 following the incident last July 31, when troopers stopped 33-year-old Cobb on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis for a car light issue. They discovered he had a warrant for violating a protection order in neighboring Ramsey County.
During the encounter, Londregan shot Cobb twice as Cobb attempted to drive away after troopers instructed him to exit his vehicle.
