MINNEAPOLIS — In July, Ricky Cobb II was shot on the shoulder of Interstate 94 by Minnesota State Troopers and on Wednesday, officials announced charges against one of the troopers involved in the shooting.
Trooper Ryan Londregan, 27, faces three criminal counts: second-degree unintentional murder, first-degree assault and second-degree manslaughter.
In a statement, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office said "Our hearts are with Ricky Cobb's family today, who are grieving an unimaginable loss. I know that they are devastated and will continue to feel this loss for the rest of their lives."
The Office is not seeking bail, and prosecutors will ask the court to require Londregan to surrender his passport and firearms and follow all conditions set by the court.
Back in August, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office confirmed that Cobb died of multiple gunshot wounds, from a shooting that took place just after 2:30 a.m. on the shoulder of the interstate near 42nd Avenue North in Minneapolis.
According to the initial report from Minnesota State Patrol, a trooper monitoring traffic saw a Ford Focus with no tail lights and pulled over the driver, later identified as Ricky Cobb II. The agency said when the trooper ran the driver's information, he learned Cobb was wanted for a "pick-up and hold" over a felony incident out of Ramsey County.
At that point, officials said troopers on the scene tried to place Cobb under arrest. Cobb reportedly tried to drive off and at some point, a trooper opened fire. State Patrol Chief Col. Matt Langer said at a press conference in August that he couldn't confirm how many times Cobb was struck.
Three troopers involved have been on standard administrative leave while the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) investigated.
Officials released four pieces of video, three videos from body-worn cameras and one from a squad car at the scene, which show the encounter over a span of 12 minutes.
Body camera video released by Minnesota State Patrol officials showed troopers trying to detain Cobb, as the trooper at the driver’s side went to unbuckle Cobb’s seatbelt. The video showed Cobb’s hand moving toward the gear-shifter and Londregan firing from the open passenger door as the car lurched forward.
The next time Cobb is seen on camera, troopers are first seen brandishing their weapons before rendering aid to him as he suffers from what ultimately became fatal gunshot wounds.
Shortly after the fatal shooting, Cobb's family and a collection of activists called on Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty to charge the officers involved.
Moriarty released a statement at that time, saying her office would work "as swiftly as possible" to provide answers for the community.
"This is an important decision that impacts everyone in our community, including the family and friends of Ricky Cobb, the troopers who were involved, and our broader community," Moriarty's statement reads, in part. "I take both police accountability and the integrity of the legal process very seriously. ... The investigation is ongoing, including interviewing of witnesses, and I have asked the BCA to prioritize the investigation. We remain in communication with the BCA to make sure they gather the information we will need to make a decision. Once the case is submitted to us for review, we will use all the resources available to analyze the evidence and make a charging decision as quickly as possible. We cannot discuss the case further until the BCA has completed their investigation.”
In September, the BCA submitted its findings to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office for consideration of criminal charges.
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