Trooper Ryan Londregan, 27, is facing charges of murder for fatally shooting motorist Ricky Cobb II during a traffic stop in Minneapolis. The trial is set to begin on September 9th, with one week blocked out for jury selection and two weeks for testimony. The charges against Londregan include second-degree murder, manslaughter, and assault. The defense attorney, Chris Madel, initially moved to disqualify the special prosecutors from Steptoe LLC due to their high hourly fees, but later dropped the motion and demanded a speedy trial.
The prosecution team from Steptoe LLC includes four former federal prosecutors and one former Manhattan assistant district attorney. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty hired them to take over the case after the original leader from her office stepped away. Moriarty cited the lack of experienced attorneys in her office to handle the high-profile and complicated case. The contract with the outside lawyers includes an initial $1 million billing cap for their services. Troopers had pulled over Cobb on Interstate 94 last July 31 for having lights out on his car, and discovered that he was wanted for violating a protection order in neighboring Ramsey County. During the encounter, Londregan shot Cobb twice as he tried to drive away after being ordered to exit his car.
Defense attorney Chris Madel maintains that Londregan’s use of force was justified to protect himself and another trooper who was partially inside the car. Law enforcement and Republican leaders have been calling on Democratic Gov. Tim Walz to transfer the case from Moriarty to Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison. Walz has expressed concerns about the direction of the case but has not taken action. Cobb’s family has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that the traffic stop and shooting were unjustified. The incident has drawn attention due to the racial dynamics involved, with Londregan being white and Cobb being Black, amidst calls for police accountability in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis officer in 2020.
