Murder Charges Dropped Against Trooper in Shooting; New Evidence Cited

(KNSI) – The Minnesota State Patrol trooper charged with murder related to the July 2023 shooting death of Ricky Cobb II will not face trial.

Hennepin County prosecutor Mary Moriarty announced Sunday that her office was dropping its case against trooper Ryan Londregan. She writes on Facebook that two new pieces of evidence have surfaced causing her to doubt they can prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Moriarty cites Londregan’s potential testimony that he believed Cobb was reaching for a weapon, something that she says is notoriously difficult to disprove. Secondly, she notes the testimony of a law enforcement trainer who said the troopers at the scene made the right decision in trying to remove Cobb from his vehicle while it was running.

Moriarty’s open letter is at times scathing against law enforcement, saying she believes that Cobb II should be alive today and Londregan has not been exonerated. She tells Cobb’s family that they deserve better.

The late-night traffic stop began when troopers noticed Cobb’s vehicle did not have its lights on. Cobb was a former felon who should not have been in possession of a firearm. Ramsey County told the troopers that they wanted him brought in to answer questions about a potential restraining order violation.

The troopers tried to get Cobb to exit the vehicle so they could arrest him. He shifted into drive and the car pulled forward while Londregan and another trooper were still hanging from the vehicle. Londregan shot Cobb from the passenger side and the car eventually came to rest about a quarter mile down Interstate 94 from where the shooting occurred. Life-saving measures were given at the scene.

A link to Moriarty’s letter to the community is here (https://www.facebook.com/HennepinAttorney). The move to drop the charges came just days after a high-profile incident where a Minneapolis Police officer was shot and killed. It has been a bloody start to 2024 for Minnesota law enforcement officers while on the line of duty.

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