Judge denies motion to dismiss murder charge against Ryan Londregan, Minnesota trooper who killed Ricky Cobb II
MINNEAPOLIS — Supporters of Minnesota state trooper Ryan Londregan clashed with supporters of Ricky Cobb II's family on Monday morning after Hennepin County Judge Tamara Garcia denied a motion to dismiss a murder charge filed against Londregan.
The 27-year-old trooper was charged in January with three felonies: second-degree unintentional murder, first-degree assault and second-degree manslaughter.
He fatally shot Cobb, 33, during a traffic stop on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis in the early morning hours of July 31, 2023.
Londregan's defense team has also filed motions to dismiss the charges on the grounds of prosecutorial misconduct and a lack of probable cause. Both motions were argued on Monday, but Garcia did not rule on them.
After Monday's hearing, defense attorney Chris Madel said his team remains steady in its position.
"Trooper Londregan followed his training. We have four, four sworn declarations from state troopers, current and former, that say that he followed his training, including the use of force policy," Madel said.
Details of the deadly shooting
Two troopers initially pulled Cobb over for not having his taillights on and soon discovered he was wanted for violating a protective order in Ramsey County, although an arrest warrant hadn't been issued.
Londregan eventually came to the scene to assist. Body camera footage captured by the troopers showed them demanding Cobb exit his vehicle. He refused and began driving away when a trooper tried to unbuckle his seat belt.
Londregan then fired two rounds into Cobb's torso. Cobb's vehicle continued to move, causing two of the troopers to fall to the ground. The vehicle eventually came to a stop, and Cobb was found dead inside.
Supporters, demonstrators face off after hearing
Hundreds of Londregan supporters gathered in the Hennepin County Government Center's lobby before Monday morning's hearing. Many wore maroon-colored shirts bearing the logo of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA), and text reading "Trooper Londregan Is Innocent." Organizers say about 300 T-shirts were handed out.
Also in attendance were dozens of demonstrators in support of justice for Cobb, who chanted, "No justice, no peace, prosecute the police."
After the hearing ended, both sides briefly went head to head in the lobby, with security moving in to separate them.
Moriarty assembles "new prosecution team"
Joshua Larson, Hennepin County's lead prosecutor, was not in the courtroom on Monday. Multiple sources confirmed late last week Larson was stepping away from the case.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced on Monday her office is "assembling a new prosecution team" from the Washington D.C.-based law firm Steptoe LLP to handle what they call an "extraordinarily resource-intensive case."
Four former federal prosecutors — Michael R. Bromwich, Steven Levin, Karima Maloney and Ryan Poscablo — will be deputized as special assistant county attorneys. Moriarty says her office will fund the team via this year's existing budget.
The attorney's office says a similar move was made in the cases against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted in 2021 of murdering George Floyd, and former St. Anthony officer Jeronimo Yanez, who was acquitted of killing Philando Castile in 2017.
"These former federal prosecutors with impeccable credentials will be singularly focused on this case while the rest of our team continues the critical work of prosecuting the high volume of other serious cases that are central to safety in our community," Moriarty said.
Moriarty sparked criticism by requesting authority from the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners to bring in outside legal counsel.
Legal experts say that's a rare move, especially for Hennepin County, since it's the largest public law office in Minnesota, with more than 200 attorneys on staff.
The move drew a response from Gov. Tim Walz, who says he has been watching the case closely and hasn't "shut the door" on rerouting it to the Minnesota Attorney General's office, which he did last year to Moriarty in the Zaria McKeever case. Moriarty called Walz's decision at the time "undemocratic." Walz also faces pressure from the MPPOA to hand the case over.
Walz's office said the civil case filed by Cobb's family against Londgregan and another trooper could pose a conflict of interest.
Moriarty's new council will meet in a few weeks, with Londregan's next hearing scheduled for May 15. No trial date has been set yet.
