Family of Man Shot to Death by State Patrolman “Disappointed,” “Deeply Troubled” After Alleged Lack of Cooperation from Fellow Troopers

(KNSI) — Attorneys for the family of a St. Cloud man who was shot and killed by a Minnesota State Trooper while fleeing a traffic stop on July 31st issued a statement after information was released Tuesday saying some troopers are not cooperating with the investigation.

Thirty-one-year Ricky Cobb II was pulled over on Interstate 94 in north Minneapolis for allegedly having no tail lights, and it was discovered he also had a felony warrant out for his arrest for violating a domestic abuse order for protection in Ramsey County. On body cam footage released shortly after the shooting, troopers asked Cobb several times to step out of the car to talk, and he repeatedly questioned why. The troopers wouldn’t explain why, only saying they wanted to talk to him outside his car. When troopers tried to physically remove Cobb, he sped away with the two officers hanging out of the car, dragging them several feet along the highway. One of the troopers fired his gun. Cobb stopped a short distance away, and life saving measures were taken at the scene, but he died. A gun was found in the vehicle, but investigators say “at no point on available video” was Cobb ever holding the firearm.

Tuesday, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said she is disappointed with the lack of cooperation from state patrol employees. The employees are not the subject of the investigation, but she alleges they “may have relevant information.”

The statement from Cobb’s family emailed to KNSI News says they are also “disappointed and deeply troubled that some state patrol officers have refused to cooperate” but “remain hopeful that this investigation will lead to a semblance of justice not only for the family of Ricky Cobb II but for all the people of Minnesota.”

They thanked Moriarty and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for the “swift and deliberate investigation and for your continued transparency as we move forward.”

The family also addressed the trooper and those who have chosen not to speak to investigators, saying, “The old ways of silence and turning a blind eye are over. Accountability is coming no matter how hard you try to hide.”

Moriarty added she hears the community’s calls for an immediate charging decision, but “I also know that rushing can lead to mistakes. Thank you for your patience as we work diligently to get this right.”

Cobb’s family is represented by nationally renowned civil rights attorneys Bakari Sellers, Harry Daniels, and F. Clayton Tyler.

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