Minnesota State Trooper faces murder charge after shooting, killing Ricky Cobb II during traffic stop
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Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announces charges against Minnesota State Trooper Ryan Londregan. Photo: Kyle Stokes/Axios
A Minnesota State Trooper will face a murder charge for shooting and killing Ricky Cobb II during an early-morning traffic stop last July.
Driving the news: Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty charged Trooper Ryan Londregan on Wednesday with second-degree unintentional murder, as well as separate counts of manslaughter and assault.
Why it matters: The prosecution of a white law enforcement officer for killing a Black man could revive painful debates about policing and race relations in a community that has wrestled with both in the wake of George Floyd's murder.
Details: During the traffic stop last summer, Londregan and two other troopers were trying to order Cobb out of his parked car. Cobb refused, demanding a clearer explanation. The troopers declared him under arrest.
- According to the criminal complaint, Cobb then shifted the car into drive, but hit the brakes as the troopers forced open the car doors. As the troopers grabbed him, Londregan fired his handgun twice from inside the car.
The big picture: Londregan's case is the first high-profile shooting by a law enforcement officer that Moriarty has prosecuted.
- Moriarty, who campaigned on promises to hold police accountable, had faced public pressure from her progressive base to charge the state trooper.
What they're saying: "Ricky Cobb II should be alive today," Moriarty told reporters Wednesday, saying the circumstances of the traffic stop did not justify using deadly force.
- She argued Londregan ignored the State Patrol's "extensive" training that tells troopers not to shoot at moving cars, or to shoot at someone to prevent them from driving away.
The other side: "This county attorney is literally out of control," Londregan's attorney, Chris Madel, said in a short statement after the charges were announced. "Open season on law enforcement must end — and it's going to end with this case."
- Moriarty has faced criticism for previous charging decisions. In April, Gov. Tim Walz intervened after she offered a controversial plea deal to two teens in a Brooklyn Park murder case.
Between the lines: "These charges are very unusual," legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Joe Tamburino told Axios in an interview.
- Neither Derek Chauvin nor Kim Potter were charged with intentionally killing George Floyd or Daunte Wright, respectively.
- Londregan is also charged with first-degree assault, which is an intentional crime. "I don't know the last time I've ever seen that" combination of charges, Tamburino said.
The intrigue: That Hennepin County prosecutors are handling the case marks a change.
- Attorney General Keith Ellison stepped in to handle Chauvin's prosecution from then-county attorney Mike Freeman, who had lost the trust of many prominent leaders of color and local lawmakers.
- Freeman later asked the attorney general to handle Potter's case, too.
Of note: Londregan was not arrested, which Tamburino also said was unusual.
- Moriarty said prosecutors will not request bail for Londregan because, under their guidelines, the trooper isn't considered a risk.