The family of a Minnesota man killed by police needs federal assistance and criticizes local leaders; Nyra Fields-Miller was making breakfast for her family last weekend when she received an urgent call from the county attorney’s office requesting a meeting. Hours later, officials informed her that prosecutors were dismissing the murder and manslaughter charges against the Minnesota state trooper who shot and killed her son, Ricky Cobb II, last summer.
On Tuesday, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty defended her initial decision to charge the trooper and later drop the charges. However, Cobb’s family expressed their disappointment, stating that the justice system had once again failed to hold law enforcement accountable.
“Black folks in this country oftentimes do not get to feel what justice looks like,” said Bakari Sellers, the family’s attorney. “When we are given hope that justice will be served, only to be let down, it is deeply disheartening.”
Sellers and Cobb’s family criticized both Moriarty and Democratic Governor Tim Walz, who had publicly clashed with the prosecutor over the case. They announced plans to request an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
Cobb, a 33-year-old Black man, was shot by Trooper Ryan Londregan, who is white, as Cobb attempted to drive away from a traffic stop on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis on July 31. Cobb had been pulled over due to his car’s lights being out and was found to be wanted for violating a domestic no-contact order. Londregan shot Cobb twice when he tried to drive away after being ordered to exit his car.
The shooting has added to the political turmoil in a city still grappling with the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder. Moriarty, elected on a police reform platform, stated that new defense claims and statements from State Patrol officials about Londregan’s actions made the case unprovable. Sellers argued that body camera footage should have clarified Londregan’s defense claims earlier.
Cobb’s family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in April, alleging that the traffic stop and shooting were unjustified. This lawsuit is ongoing.
Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, emphasized the difficulty of holding officers accountable, even in a county where Derek Chauvin was convicted of Floyd’s murder. “Despite becoming the epicenter of an international movement against police violence, our community still struggles for justice against officers who use excessive force,” Gross said.
Londregan, who remains on paid leave, is awaiting the outcome of a State Patrol review. His attorney, Chris Madel, defended Londregan’s actions as heroic and stated that he plans to return to law enforcement.
Cobb’s family and supporters, standing before reporters, stressed that he should still be alive. “My son was an excellent son to me. He had aspirations, was a father, and was a human being,” Fields-Miller said. “Make it make sense.”