Attorney for trooper who killed Ricky Cobb II questions family meeting with governor, Hennepin County attorney
MINNEAPOLIS -- The attorney for Minnesota State Trooper Ryan Londregan says he believes the BCA investigation into the killing of 33-year-old Ricky Cobb II will prove Londregan, and all of the troopers on scene, acted properly and heroically.
Londregan shot Cobb during a traffic stop on I-94 in north Minneapolis last week.
In a new letter obtained by WCCO, Attorney Christopher Madel said he finds it troubling the family has met with the governor and the Hennepin County attorney.
Saying in a 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."
Earlier this week, the county attorney's office told WCCO that Moriarty met with Cobb's family as she has in other cases, saying she told them she could not discuss the case while hearing their hopes for the process.
"We cannot discuss the case further until the BCA has completed their investigation. No PR stunts will change that," Nick Kimball with the Hennepin County Attorney's Office said.
MORE: Ricky Cobb's family speaks out at governor's mansion after state trooper shoots, kills 33-year-old
Cobb's family met with Gov. Tim Walz at the Capitol for about 30 minutes on Wednesday. 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.
Ahead of that meeting, Walz addressed the investigation into troopers by another state agency and if he thinks the BCA can be objective.
"This is the first time, at least in recent memory, that we had a state agency involved in this -- either be the DNR, the BCA itself or, in this case, the State Patrol," Walz said. "This the best-qualified group of folks out there."
BCA Superintendent Drew Evans told WCCO its Force Investigations Unit is independent.
"To create that assurance of that independence, unbiased approach to these cases, these agents don't work on other types of cases, don't work day to day with other law enforcement," Evans said.
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.
RELATED: An inside look at the Minnesota BCA's Force Investigations Unit
