MINNEAPOLIS — When Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty first received the case involving the death of Ricky Cobb during a Minnesota State Patrol traffic stop, she emphasized the importance of a use-of-force expert, calling their independent review "a critical part of our process."
After charging Trooper Ryan Londregan with 2nd-degree murder in January, Moriarty said, "We determined through investigation that came after that statement that charges were appropriate without the use of an expert."
But a new court filing signed by Senior Assistant County Attorney Joshua Larson reveals that prosecutors had retained a use-of-force expert but stopped consulting with him after their second meeting with him on Oct. 13 to discuss his "preliminary thoughts."
The court filing does not reveal the expert's name, but KARE 11 News has confirmed through sources that it is Jeffrey Noble, whom Ramsey County prosecutors used in the trial of former officer Jeronimo Yanez in the shooting death of Philando Castile during a traffic stop in 2016.
In the Yanez trial in 2017, Noble testified that the shooting was unreasonable. The jury disagreed, finding Yanez not guilty.
In the Londregan case, the motion filed by Hennepin County prosecutors does not say whether Noble opined that Londregan's use of force was legally justified. The motion is an attempt to prevent defense attorneys from subpoenaing records directly from Noble.
And it lays out how the prosecution changed course in its review of the case after the October meeting with the Noble.
Larson wrote that they "initiated additional interviews with State Patrol trainers, continued reviewing the investigative materials on [their] own, and held an investigative grand jury on December 14."
"On January 26, 2024, the State asked [the use-of-force expert] to hold off any further work on the case, and [he] agreed to do so," Larson wrote.
According to the motion, filed Thursday, defense attorneys sent a subpoena to Noble to obtain all his reports, communication and other documents regarding the case.
Prosecutors accuse the defense of trying circumvent the rules of the discovery process and are asking Judge Tamara Garcia to quash the subpoena for records held by Noble.
Trooper Brett Seide pulled over Ricky Cobb on July 31 near Lowry Avenue because his tail lights weren’t on, according to the Department of Public Safety. After making the traffic stop, DPS said troopers learned Cobb was wanted in Ramsey County in connection with a felony-level violation. Records show Cobb was in violation of a no-contact order.
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. Troopers Seide and Londregan received minor injuries after falling to the ground as the car pulled away. Cobb crashed about a quarter-mile away and was pronounced dead at the scene from the 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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