Family of Ricky Cobb II speak out on his fatal police shooting
MINNEAPOLIS -- The family of a man killed by a state trooper last month said Friday afternoon that they plan to file a civil lawsuit.
Ricky Cobb II was shot and killed by a Minnesota State Trooper earlier this month. Cobb was pulled over for not having his rear lights, and it's believed trooper Ryan Londregan was the one who fired his gun.
Family members say that all the available video shows that at no point was Cobb seen holding a firearm. Investigators have said that one was located in the back of the vehicle following the shooting, but it's not clear to whom it belonged.
Last week, Cobb's family met with Gov. Tim Walz at the Capitol for about 30 minutes. The family called it a very important meeting.
"I'm going to have to give you all no comment going forth in getting justice for Ricky," Nyra Fields-Miller, Cobb's mother said.
Attorney Christopher Madel said he finds it troubling the family met with the governor and the Hennepin County attorney, who Cobb's family also met with.
Madel said in his letter to Mary Moriarty, "Impartial prosecutors are critical to the public's confidence that charging decisions follow the rule of law—and not political wind."
Bakari Sellers, the family's attorney, and Rashad Cobb, Ricky Cobb's twin brother, said Friday they won't be intimidated or bullied by the lawyer representing Londregan.
"[We are] not here to defame anyone," Sellers said. "The audacity to send us a message as such is below the bar. But what we are here for is justice. We want the officer to be held accountable."
Londregan's attorney is now asking all documents and correspondence about this case, including communication with the Cobb family, be preserved.
The Cobbs want all of the involved troopers charged and fired.
Video background
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has released video footage from the incident. The DPS showed the shooting from four angles -- three body camera videos from each of the troopers at the scene, and one squad car video.
The video was edited to blur out Cobb's face.
According to the video, three troopers approached Cobb's car and one stood on the driver's side, one on the passenger side, and one trooper stood behind the car.
Body camera footage of the trooper on the driver's side shows him approaching Cobb and asking him to step out of the car.
"We just have some stuff to talk about," the trooper says, but Cobb, who has his hands raised, refuses and then asks why.
"Is this a warrant?" Cobb asks. The trooper says it's not a warrant. Cobb asks to call his attorney, and then the trooper asks Cobb to hand over the keys to the car. He then tells Cobb repeatedly to get out of the car.
The trooper on the driver's side and passenger side both open the doors, and the trooper on the driver's side tries to pull Cobb out.
"Get out of the car now!" the trooper on the passenger side door yells.
Cobb appears to put his hand on the shift gear. Video from the trooper on the passenger side shows that the trooper pulled a gun. The sound of the gunshots are not captured on the body camera video, but Col. Matt Langer with the Minnesota State Patrol confirmed it came from the trooper on the passenger side. Two gunshots can be heard on the squad car video as Cobb pulls his car away.
Cobb drives his car away, and two troopers fall hard to the ground. The three troopers begin a short pursuit on foot, before they return to their squad cars and begin to chase Cobb.
After a brief pursuit on Interstate 94, video shows that they came to a stop on the left lane of the highway. The three surround the car and eventually pull Cobb out to provide first aid. Cobb, however, died.
