Attorney for family of Ricky Cobb II sent $25M demand letter to state

A civil rights attorney for the family of Ricky Cobb II sent a letter to the state seeking $25 million for Cobb’s death at the hands of a state trooper last summer.

But the attorney, Bakari Sellers, said that amount was a negotiation starting point and that someone leaked the confidential letter sent last month.

In statements Wednesday to the Star Tribune, the Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Public Safety (DPS) denied leaking the letter. Sellers said trooper Ryan Londregan and his legal defense team were also provided the letter, but defense attorneys declined to comment.

“It’s unfortunate and it’s unprofessional. And this family doesn’t deserve that,” said Sellers, a South Carolina lawyer who is representing the family with attorneys Harry Daniels and F. Clayton Tyler.

DPS provided a copy of the Feb. 15 demand letter to the press late Wednesday, saying it was public under Minnesota law. In it, Sellers lays out his legal analysis and accuses Londregan, DPS and the state patrol of excessive force, unreasonable seizure, negligence and wrongful death resulting in the July 31, 2023 traffic stop.

“Mr. Cobb’s death has left a significant hole in his family’s life, particularly that of his children’s, which no amount of compensation can ever truly replace,” the letter states, adding that Cobb’s family estate demands $25 million as compensation for injuries caused by the “outrageous and intolerable conduct.”

At the traffic stop, troopers attempted to remove Cobb from his vehicle after learning he’d been accused of violating a domestic order for protection. As Cobb shifted the vehicle into drive and took his foot off the brake, the car lurched forward, dragging another trooper positioned at the driver’s side. Londregan fired twice from the passenger side, striking Cobb twice in the torso.

Sellers said he plans to file a civil suit on behalf of the family in the coming weeks.

“There’s an initial demand there, yes, and that was $25 million. But as you know how negotiations go, that was the starting point,” he said.

Sellers said he found out about the leak Tuesday night.

”I haven’t seen something so unprofessional,” he said. ”I try to be courteous and I try to be respectful to people. ... I feel like in the criminal process, the defense attorneys, the officer are trying to bully this family. ... And I’m not going to stand for that.”

The letter was first obtained and reported by Alpha News.