Source: CBS / CBS
Minneapolis prosecutors plan to dismiss murder charges against a white state trooper who shot and killed Black motorist Ricky Cobb.
According to AP, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty filed a notice to dismiss murder and manslaughter charges against Ryan Londregan after in April, his defense team revealed testimony that the officer believed Ricky Cobb was reaching for a firearm. A Minnesota State Patrol trainer also testified that he never told officers to refrain from shooting into moving vehicles.
Prosecutors believed that the evidence from April’s hearing made it impossible to prove that Londregan’s use of force was not authorized, which led to their decision to dismiss charges.
On July 31, 2023, 33-year-old Ricky Cobb II was pulled over by state troopers on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis.
During the traffic stop, officers tried to arrest Cobb and take him into custody for allegedly violating a restraining order. As they tried to take him out of his vehicle, Cobb began to drive away and he was shot and killed by Minnesota State Trooper Ryan Londregan.
Dash camera and bodycam video of the incident released by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (MDPS) showed Cobb was pulled over for not having his rear lights on. While three officers responded to the initial incident, Londregan was the only one to discharge his firearm.
According to the family attorneys, MDPS has said that “At no point on available video” is Cobb holding a gun.
On Jan. 24, Minnesota State Patrol Trooper Ryan Londregan was charged with second-degree unintentional murder, first-degree assault and second-degree manslaughter for the fatal shooting of Ricky Cobb over the summer.
Family attorney Bakari Sellers condemned the decision to drop the charges saying the family was disappointed with prosecutors.
“They got bullied,” he told the Star Tribune. “There’s no other way around it.”
Londregan’s trial was set to begin Sept. 9, but now, Cobb’s family must look to get justice in other forms.
In April, Ricky Cobb’s family filed a federal lawsuit against Londregan and fellow State Trooper Brett Seide for their involvement in his murder.
The lawsuit claims that during the incident, Brett Seide told troopers that Cobb was wanted for violating a protective order in Ramsey County. There was no such warrant.
The suit also alleges that the entire incident, which resulted in Londregan killing Cobb, was caused by Londregan and Seide.
Click here to read the full lawsuit.
SEE ALSO:
Cops Who Killed Ricky Cobb ‘Created’ And ‘Escalated’ Incident That Led To His Death, Lawsuit Says
RIP Ricky Cobb: Minnesota Cops Who Killed Black Driver Could Finally Face Discipline
