Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has filed a notice of dismissal of charges against State Trooper Ryan Londregan in connection with the shooting death of Ricky Cobb II. The dismissal comes after the defense presented new evidence challenging the state’s ability to prove that Londregan’s use of force was unauthorized. This decision, detailed in a notice of dismissal filed on Sunday, reflects the difficulties in prosecuting cases involving law enforcement use of deadly force.
The defense recently revealed testimony from Londregan, claiming he saw Cobb reaching for his firearm before he fired. Consultations with a use-of-force expert led the prosecution team to conclude they could not meet the burden of proving that lethal force was unjustified beyond a reasonable doubt. Moriarty’s office emphasized that this judgment does not negate the tragedy of Cobb’s death nor validate the training methods employed by Londregan and his supervisors, but rather adheres to ethical prosecutorial standards.
In her explanation of the decision, Moriarty issued a letter to the Hennepin County community, acknowledging the grief and anger borne from the incident, especially within communities affected by police violence. She committed to transparency and a thorough examination of systemic barriers contributing to such cases.
The case has drawn comparisons to the 2020 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked global protests against police brutality and systemic racism. Cobb was shot during a traffic stop in July 2023 when officers attempted to arrest him for an outstanding offense. Additional context and updates can be found in the initial JURIST report on this development.