MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The video above first aired on KARE 11 on Jan. 24, 2024.
The team representing 27-year-old Ryan Londregan, a Minnesota State Patrol trooper accused of murder in the death of Ricky Cobb II, claims Londregan has been the focus of threatening messages online.
According to court documents filed Thursday in Hennepin County, an attorney for Londregan, Kelsey Lund, alleges "several social media posts" in recent months included threatening language, some of Londregan's personal information and calls for protests outside his home.
The court filing alleges the posts were featured in comments in response to a local news outlet's article on social media, while also specifically accusing one of Cobb's brothers, Imari Cobb, for making threatening posts. Lund included various screenshots of the alleged posts in the official court document.
"Several posts appear to include threats to the trooper involved such as a post where Imari Cobb states that he hopes the trooper involved dies in his sleep," the document said. "In another post, Imari Cobb notes that the trooper involved should be 'blessed' that Imari had not 'blitzed' them."
Londregan's attorney claimed other online comments by community members also threaten Londregan's life and revealed personal bits of information, including his home address.
"In response to one of the posts that includes Trooper Londregan’s home address, shown on page two of Exhibit 2, Imari Cobb thanks the poster for the information and states, 'The mob gotta roll,'" the document said.
Londregan was charged Wednesday with second-degree unintentional murder, first-degree assault and second-degree manslaughter in connection with the July 2023 shooting death of Cobb.
Body camera video released by Minnesota State Patrol officials in the days following Cobb's death showed a brief interaction between Cobb and the troopers. Cobb's hand then appeared to move toward the gear-shifter, and Londregan was seen firing his weapon from the open passenger's side door as the vehicle lurched forward.
Both troopers received minor injuries after falling to the ground as Cobb's vehicle pulled away. Cobb crashed about a quarter-mile away and was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound.
Londregan is the first officer to be charged by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty since she was elected after running a campaign promising police accountability.
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