By Anthony Gockowski
HENNEPIN COUNTY, Minn. – The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has submitted the results of its investigation into the Ricky Cobb II shooting to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for a charging decision.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty asked for patience as her office works “diligently to get this right.”
“I hear the community calls for an immediate charging decision, but I also know that rushing can lead to mistakes,” she said in a press release Tuesday.
Moriarty also claimed that some members of the Minnesota State Patrol have “refused to cooperate with the BCA’s investigation.”
“These are individuals who are not the subject of the investigation but may have relevant information. We are disappointed by this lack of cooperation as the family, the community, and the troopers involved in this incident all deserve answers. For our part, I am committed to ensuring that our office utilizes all resources available to us to conduct a complete and thorough review, and reaches a decision as quickly as possible,” she said.
Moriarty said her office has identified a use-of-force expert to help review the case.
Cobb was shot to death during a traffic stop in the early morning hours of July 31 in Minneapolis by state trooper Ryan Londregan. He was pulled over by trooper Brett Seide on I-94 around 1:50 a.m. because his taillights were not on. Seide learned that Cobb was wanted in Ramsey County for violating an order for protection. Londregan and trooper Garrett Erickson arrived on the scene to assist.
All three troopers then approached Cobb’s car, asking him to get out and attempting to physically remove him because he refused to exit. As Londregan and Seide began to open the doors to his vehicle, Cobb put his left hand on the steering wheel and his right hand on the gear shift, according to body camera videos. Seide’s head and torso were inside the car, the videos show.
Squad camera video of the shooting clearly shows Cobb’s car moving before Londregan reached for and discharged his gun, killing Cobb.
In August, police leaders criticized Moriarty and Gov. Tim Walz — whose administration oversees the State Patrol — for meeting with Cobb’s family before the investigation was complete.
Londregan’s attorney, Christopher Madel, previously said that the state trooper “not only acted properly, but heroically.”
This article originally appeared at Alpha News and was reprinted with permission.
