MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The video above first aired on KARE 11 on Aug. 18, 2023.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has submitted the findings of its investigation into the fatal shooting of Ricky Cobb II by a Minnesota State Patrol trooper to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office for consideration of criminal charges.
On Tuesday, the office said in a statement that Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty met with Cobb's family on Monday after learning that the BCA was prepared to submit its investigation.
According to Moriarty, who was urged by family last month to charge the officers involved after video of the shooting was made public, she is "committed to ensuring that our office utilizes all resources available to us to conduct a complete and thorough review, and reaches a decision as quickly as possible."
Moriarty added in her statement released Tuesday that her office learned from the BCA that some state patrol employees, "who are not the subject of the investigation but may have relevant information," refused to cooperate with the BCA. "We are disappointed by this lack of cooperation as the family, the community, and the troopers involved in this incident all deserve answers," she said.
Cobb, a father of five, was shot and killed by a State Trooper in the early morning hours of Monday, July 31, 2023, on the shoulder of I-94 in Minneapolis. Following the shooting, State Patrol said a trooper was observing traffic around 2 a.m. when a car drove by with no taillights. The trooper pulled over the driver, later identified as Cobb, and while gathering information learned he was wanted in Ramsey County in connection with a felony-level violation.
Documents from the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office show it was in violation of a no-contact order.
State Patrol officials went on to say that as troopers attempted to detain Cobb, he refused to exit the vehicle and drove off.
Video of the incident from three body cameras and one patrol car shows the exchange from the driver's side, passenger's side and back of Cobb's vehicle as troopers approach. The officer on the driver's side is heard telling Cobb to exit the vehicle, while Cobb asks them to produce a warrant.
Following a brief verbal exchange, Cobb begins to drive away as two troopers physically try to remove him. The officers are then seen falling out of Cobb's vehicle from both the passenger and driver's side doors, before running back to their squad cars and engaging in a short pursuit.
Watch the State Patrol video below. Warning: this video contains graphic images and language. Viewer discretion is advised.
The next time Cobb appears on camera, troopers are first seen brandishing their weapons before rendering aid to him as he suffers from what ultimately became fatal gunshot wounds.
The BCA identified the troopers involved in the shooting as Trooper Ryan Londregan, Trooper Brett Seide and Trooper Garrett Erickson. Londregann fired his gun, killing Cobb II.
Trooper Seide initiated the traffic stop on Cobb but did not use force. He and Londregann were minorly injured. A third trooper, Garrett Erickson, did not use force and was not injured.
As the BCA continued its investigation in August, Cobb's family announced their intention to file a lawsuit against the state. When asked who they will file the lawsuit or lawsuits against, attorney Harry Daniels said the group, which includes fellow lawyers Bakari Sellers and F. Clayton Tyler, was not beyond suing the state of Minnesota, the Minnesota State Patrol and the sheriff's office.
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