As charges are dismissed, Moriarty defends decision to charge state trooper and criticizes ‘political circus’
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Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has dropped murder, manslaughter and assault charges against state trooper Ryan Londregan in the shooting death of motorist Ricky Cobb II.
But at a news conference on Monday, Moriarty defended her initial decision to file murder, manslaughter and assault charges in the case. She criticized what she called systemic issues with the State Patrol, including flawed training. She castigated Londregan’s defense attorneys, as well as law enforcement groups and Gov. Tim Walz, for their actions and comments surrounding the case.
And she criticized what she called a “political circus that has repeatedly tried to center Mr. Londregan as the victim.”
“Ricky Cobb was the victim in this case. Ricky Cobb should be alive today. And that makes our inability to move forward even more difficult for Mr. Cobb’s family and for our community. And for that, I’m deeply sorry,” Moriarty said.
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After the news conference, Gov. Tim Walz revealed that he planned to use his legal authority to remove Moriarty from the case. Moriarty’s office said she was “aware of credible rumors” about that happening, but that they did not influence the decision.
Brian Peters, executive director of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, said in a statement that Londregan “should never have been charged and we are glad this political case is over. Enough is enough.”
Attorneys for Cobb’s family said they were disappointed, but not surprised by the decision.
“Like many, we have come to expect the absence of justice and accountability when Black lives are lost in this country. In fact, the state of Minnesota has repeatedly demonstrated that Black lives simply are not valued whether it’s Daunte Demetrius Wright, Philando Castile or Ricky Cobb II,” they wrote, saying Moriarty “bowed to political pressure to drop the charges.”
Cobb’s mother, Nyra Miller-Fields, joined a press conference Monday organized by Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence to criticize Moriarty’s decision.
“I am so upset, disappointed and mad. My heart breaks every day,” she said.
Advocates at the press conference called for more charges to be brought against Londregan.
“Just as law enforcement officers deserve to return home to their families, so should Ricky Cobb II and countless others like him,” said Johnathon McClellan, president of the Minnesota Justice Coalition. “We are calling for an independent investigation with a special prosecutor who was completely disconnected from Minnesota and its politics. If there’s nothing to hide, let the truth come to light.”
Reasons for dismissal
Londregan was one of three state troopers who tried to arrest Cobb during a traffic stop last summer in Minneapolis. Cobb tried to drive away, and Londregan shot into the vehicle. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges that are now dismissed.
Moriarty cited two main reasons for deciding to drop the charges. First, she said, Londregan said in court in April that he saw Cobb reach for his — Londregan’s — gun. He said he was worried that Cobb intended to harm him or his partner.
Moriarty said her office wasn’t previously aware that Londregan would use that defense — and it made it difficult for them to prove that Londregan’s use of force was not justified.
Londregan’s defense attorney Chris Madel disputes that this was new evidence. He said the evidence was already in a notice of defense filed with the court in January and that he was surprised she pursued the case in the first place.
“The county attorney’s office had this from day one with respect to this case. And for her to come out now and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I had no idea that defense was hiding this great evidence,’ is just plain absurd,” Madel said.
Moriarty also said a State Patrol trainer recently gave a declaration stating that he never instructed troopers not to fire into a moving vehicle — so Londregan wasn’t violating his training.
Speaking for Londregan, Madel said the trooper “feels like he was 100 percent adequately trained.”
Moriarty stood by her initial decision to file charges, saying it made sense based on the evidence she had at the time.
Criticism of defense, governor
The case had been controversial since the beginning, and Moriarty accused Londregan’s defense and supporters of using “scorched earth tactics to attempt to intimidate anybody involved in this case, or anyone who might consider trying to hold a police officer accountable in the future.”
She also accused them of “busing in” dozens of supporters ahead of a court hearing.
“Some of them taunted Ricky Cobb’s twin brother, Rashad,” she alleged. “Members of our staff were frightened at the spectacle, which reminded them of Jan. 6.”
Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association general counsel Imran Ali told MPR News that those claims weren’t accurate.
“These were peaceful people who were there to support somebody that they believed to be in unjust prosecution. Not one time did I see anyone from the supporters of Mr. Londregan ever act out of course,” Ali said.
Moriarty also leveled criticism at Gov. Tim Walz, who had questioned the charging decision earlier in the year.
“Why is it appropriate for a governor who has never picked up the phone to call me, who is not a lawyer, who does not understand the nuances of this case, to talk about it publicly?,” Moriarty said.
Walz said Monday that the prosecution had been flawed since the start and that he had still been considering reassigning the case.
“At some point, had this decision not been made that yes, we would have done that. I also say that they don't take it lightly. I think that is the wrong. It should not be that way. But there's a safety net in there to allow an egregious situation like this to be corrected,” Walz said.
Moriarty was critical of how the troopers handled the interaction with Cobb, the training they received from the Patrol, and a lack of cooperation with the investigation after the shooting.
What’s next
Londregan remains on paid leave while the Patrol reviews the incident.
While the criminal charges have been dismissed, Cobb’s family has filed a federal lawsuit against Londregan and his partner for use of excessive force.
And Moriarty said Monday that she wants to see systemic changes. In their summary of the case, special prosecutors made several recommendations for the Patrol, including that the agency prohibit shooting into or from a moving vehicle; place greater emphasis on de-escalation; and “build a training module for recruits and experienced troopers centering on this incident to learn from the mistakes and poor tactics that were used.”
State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic issued a statement Sunday — before Moriarty’s news conference — saying that troopers “work hard every day to keep Minnesota safe. They are in a line of work that is increasingly difficult and dangerous — but also more important than ever. The use of force that took Ricky Cobb II’s life unfolded in a fraction of a second. We acknowledge the loss felt by Mr. Cobb’s family. We also recognize the immense toll this incident has taken on our troopers and staff.”