Appeals Court Upholds Dismissal of Lawsuit in St. Cloud Man’s Shooting Death by State Trooper

(KNSI) — A federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a civil lawsuit against two Minnesota State Patrol troopers involved in the 2023 shooting death of a St. Cloud man during a traffic stop in north Minneapolis.

The lawsuit was filed by the personal representative of Ricky Cobb II’s estate against Trooper Ryan Londregan and Trooper Brett Seide, alleging they used excessive force and violated Cobb’s Fourth Amendment rights.

A federal judge had previously dismissed the case, ruling Londregan was protected by qualified immunity and that his use of deadly force was objectively reasonable given the circumstances.

According to court documents, on July 31st, 2023, troopers stopped Cobb on Interstate 94 for driving without taillights and discovered he had an outstanding felony warrant for violating a domestic abuse order for protection in Ramsey County. Body camera footage showed troopers repeatedly asked Cobb to step out of the vehicle. When they tried to physically remove him, Cobb sped away with both troopers partially inside the car, dragging them along the highway. Londregan fired his weapon. Cobb stopped a short distance away and died despite life-saving measures at the scene. A gun was found in the vehicle, but investigators say Cobb was never seen holding the firearm on available video.

In her ruling, Judge Nancy Brasel wrote that the situation required a split-second judgment and that Londregan’s decision to shoot without warning did not violate a clearly established right.

Londregan had been charged with murder and manslaughter in January of 2024, but Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty dropped those charges that August, citing new evidence that would have made it difficult to meet the burden of proof at trial.

___