A Minnesota State Trooper has been charged with murder in connection to the fatal shooting of a man during a traffic stop last year, officials said. According to FOX 9, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office filed second-degree unintentional murder, second-degree manslaughter, and first-degree assault charges against Trooper Ryan Londregan in the killing of Ricky Cobb II on July 31, 2023.
It took nearly six months for the charges to be filed after the incident left Cobb dead following a routine stop on Interstate 94. The charges come amidst demands from Cobb’s family for action to be taken against Londregan. Cobb’s mother, Nyra Fields-Miller, said in a response to the charges, "Ryan Londregan stole my son from me," as reported by CBS News Minnesota. "He gunned Ricky down my son for no reason while he was defenseless. Nothing can ever make up for that, But today’s decision is the first step toward closure and justice."
The traffic stop that resulted in Cobb's death began after State Patrol Trooper Brett Seide noticed Cobb's Ford Fusion without taillights, later leading to the discovery of a felony warrant out of Ramsey County. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension stated that though there was a gun in the back of Cobb's vehicle, it was never in his possession when he was shot. Londregan, with about 1.5 years of law enforcement experience at the time of the shooting, is currently on paid administrative leave along with the other troopers involved.
In response to the charges, Londregan's attorney filed a motion to dismiss, citing an abuse of the grand jury process, as detailed in court papers. "Londregan moves the court for an order dismissing the state’s complaint for abuse of the grand jury process, in that the state empaneled a grand jury and, when the grand jury did not return an indictment, proceeded to charge defendant via complaint, thus using the grand jury improperly as a substitute for discovery," the filing reads as obtained by FOX 9. A court date for the motion has yet to be scheduled.
Authorities, including the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson, have expressed their condolences to Cobb’s family and acknowledged the gravity of the incident. "We continue to extend our condolences to the family of Ricky Cobb II," Jacobson stated, recognizing the longstanding effect such incidents leave on all involved. The Minnesota State Patrol and the Department of Public Safety are conducting internal investigations and reviews surrounding this case to inform training and policy decisions going forward.
Ricky Cobb II is survived by his two sons, ages 8 and 10. If convicted of the charges, Trooper Londregan faces up to 40 years in prison for the second-degree murder charge. As the legal proceedings advance, Londregan awaits trial without bail, as prosecutors ask he surrender his passport and firearms amidst the court's conditions.
