Ryan Londregan : “Minnesota Officer Ryan Londregan Cleared of Murder Charges in Ricky Cobb II Death – WEIS”

(MINNEAPOLIS) — A Minnesota state trooper, Ryan Londregan, who fatally shot an unarmed Black man, Ricky Cobb II, during a routine traffic stop last July, has had the charges against him dismissed. The white trooper faced charges of second-degree unintentional murder, first-degree assault, and second-degree manslaughter, to which he had previously pleaded not guilty.

In a statement released on Sunday night, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced the dismissal of charges against Londregan. This decision came after the defense presented new evidence suggesting that Cobb had allegedly reached for the trooper’s firearm, and a Minnesota State Patrol trainer had never instructed officers to refrain from shooting into a moving vehicle.

As a result of this new information, prosecutors concluded that they could no longer prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Londregan’s actions were not justified as an authorized use of force by a peace officer, leading to the decision to drop the case.

Moriarty expressed regret during a press conference on Monday morning, stating, “Ricky Cobb should be alive today. And that makes our inability to move forward even more difficult for Mr. Cobb’s family and for our community. And for that, I’m deeply sorry.”

Civil rights attorneys Bakari Sellers, Harry Daniels, and F. Clayton Tyler, who are representing the Cobb family, criticised the county attorney’s office, accusing them of succumbing to political pressure to drop the charges. They stated, “Apparently, all you have to do to get away with murder is to bully the prosecutors enough, and the charges will just go away. The people don’t believe the excuses, and neither do we.”

The fatal incident took place on July 31, 2023, at around 1:50 a.m. when Cobb was pulled over initially for having faulty taillights. However, troopers later discovered that he was wanted for violating a protective order in a nearby county and were asked to take him into custody by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

Bodycam footage from the incident shows two troopers engaging with Cobb outside his vehicle. Despite their attempts to detain him, Cobb reportedly refused to exit the car and tried to drive away. In the video, one of the troopers is seen attempting to grab the steering wheel to prevent Cobb from leaving, but he managed to drive off. Londregan, one of the troopers, then fired multiple shots at Cobb, who drove a short distance before colliding with a median and succumbing to his injuries at the scene.

Following the tragic event, Cobb’s family filed a federal lawsuit in April against Londregan and Minnesota State Trooper Brett Seide, who was also present during the traffic stop but was not charged in this case. The lawsuit accuses them of “unreasonable seizure” and “excessive use of force.”

In a press conference addressing the lawsuit, Olivia Stroh, the mother of Cobb’s 7-year-old son, called for justice and highlighted the trauma experienced by her young son. She shared, “The pain that I felt from having to tell my son that the person he looks up to — the person who’s supposed to protect and serve – he shot his daddy. It’s horrifying to tell him that — he’s 7. And he doesn’t deserve this. Ricky doesn’t deserve this. His four other children don’t deserve this, and he absolutely needs justice.”

Cobb’s father, Ricky Cobb Jr., also spoke out in a press conference earlier this year, expressing the challenges of staying strong for his family amidst the tragedy. He said, “This is a hard one. I will say to any father who has lost his child, this takes you to a different level of how to stand strong. I had to stand strong for my kids.”

Londregan’s attorney, Christopher Madel, confirmed that he would represent him in both the civil and criminal cases. Madel previously criticised prosecutors and described Londregan as a “hero,” stating, “This County Attorney has provided sweetheart deals to murderers and kidnappers, and now, today, she charges a hero. This County Attorney is literally out of control. Open season on law enforcement must end. And it’s going to end with this case.”

ABC News’ Dhanika Pineda and Davi Merchan contributed to this report.