Trooper charged in fatal shooting of Black motorist makes first court appearance

With dozens of law enforcement officers present in a show of support, State Patrol trooper Ryan Londregan made his first court appearance Monday after he was charged last week with murder in the fatal shooting of motorist Ricky Cobb II.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty charged Londregan last week with second-degree unintentional murder, first-degree assault and second-degree manslaughter in the July 31 shooting of Cobb, 33. Londregan, 27, has and will remain out of custody.

Londregan has not yet been booked into jail. His attorney, Chris Madel, said that will likely take place next week.

According to state statute, a defendant must submit fingerprints to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) before a judge accepting a plea of guilty or not guilty. Londregan didn’t enter a plea Monday.

Moriarty said her office is not seeking bail, but rather conditions of supervised release for Londregan. He must remain law abiding and attend all court hearings. He cannot have contact with Cobb’s family or any witnesses and he is not allowed to transport firearms.

Parties spent just a few minutes going over the previously agreed-upon conditions and setting a next court hearing for April 29. Londregan spoke only twice, saying “No, Your Honor” when asked for a court hearing reminder and if he had any questions.

Standing outside the public safety facility in downtown Minneapolis, Londregan stared past a gaggle of media while surrounded by his wife, Grace, and defense attorneys Madel and Peter Wold. Behind them stood dozens of current and former law enforcement officers.

“I really want to thank everybody for showing up here for this great showing of support for trooper Ryan and it means the world not only to the Londregans, but Mr. Wold and myself,” Madel said. “We appreciate it. Onward with the case.”

Madel said that Moriarty didn’t rely on a use-of-force expert when making her charging decision, as she said she would when the BCA handed over its investigation. “Here’s a bunch of use-of-force experts,” Madel said while gesturing to the crowd of law enforcement behind him.

Troopers pulled Cobb over on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis for driving without taillights around 2 a.m. They attempted to remove him from the vehicle after learning he’d been accused of violating a standing 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.

Cobb’s family attended the hearing Monday along with retained civil rights attorney Bakari Sellers. They declined to comment beyond a statement in which Sellers said he enlisted Geoffrey Alpert, a criminologist at the University of South Carolina.

Alpert served as an expert witness for the family of George Floyd who won a record $27 million settlement against the city of Minneapolis and the four officers. It’s said to be the largest pretrial settlement in a civil rights wrongful death lawsuit in U.S. history. Alpert reviewed dash and body-worn camera footage of Cobb’s fatal traffic stop.

“Review of the body-worn camera video raises serious questions and red flags about policy violations and the use of excessive force,” Alpert said in a statement. “The video can be used as an example of what a police officer should not do and if the officers had followed protocol and accepted police practices, it is likely that Ricky Cobb II would be alive today.”

The Cobb family shouted “Ricky Cobb The Second!” while holding up two fingers as a sea of officers ushered Londregan away. Ahead of the hearing, the crowd of supporters escorted him into the Public Safety Facility.

Londregan became a trooper trainee in February 2021 and was appointed that October, according to his public employee file. He previously worked for Vermont State Police in 2018 and later as a private investigator for a Florida-based company.

He remains on paid leave, according to the state patrol.

Madel filed motions asking to dismiss charges against Londregan because he used deadly force to protect himself and a fellow trooper. Moriarty said the use-of-force was not justified and violated trooper policy.

The State Patrol’s general orders of operation prohibit shooting at moving vehicles, except when deadly force is authorized. It says that firearms shall not be used “when there is substantial risk to the safety of other persons, including risks associated with vehicle crashes.”

Troopers “should make every effort not to place themselves in a position that would increase the possibility that the vehicle they are approaching can be used as a deadly weapon against them or others,” the policy states.

Experts say that fleeing in itself is not cause for deadly force, which Minnesota troopers rarely use.

The BCA said early on that at no point was Cobb seen holding a gun, although one was later recovered on the floor behind the center console.