We are getting more insight into the drama unfolding between the legal teams in the case of Ryan Londregan, the Minnesota state trooper who was charged with murder for shooting Ricky Cobb II during a traffic stop in July.

A judge released more documents this week that reveal what a use-of-force expert said.

The defense for Londregan is arguing that use-of-force expert Jeffrey Noble told prosecutors that Londregan’s actions were reasonable if he feared for his partner’s safety. But the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office is pushing back, saying there’s more context in these documents.

Over the past several weeks, the two sides have been going back and forth about what was said during an October meeting with Noble.

During this meeting, Noble reviewed the case and said, “If Trooper Londregan shot Ricky Cobb simply to prevent him from fleeing, he would deem the use of deadly force unreasonable.” However, he went on to say that “his opinion would change if Trooper Londregen shot Cobb because he feared for his partner’s safety,” adding that “a reasonable officer in Trooper Londregan’s position would have perceived that his partner was in danger of death or great bodily harm.”

When asked if the use of force was necessary, Noble acknowledged the term “necessary” is “complicated and tricky.” He added that “he could not offer an opinion on what necessary means under Minnesota statute.”

A spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office denied that Noble made any legal conclusions, saying that the defense is overstating what Noble said. The Attorney’s Office added that Londregan’s lawyers used a “cherry-picked sentence” and are “abusing the legal process to initiate inaccurate pretrial publicity in the case”.

Meanwhile, the defense team is calling for Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty to be removed from the case.

Last week, a judge ruled that exhibits can now only be offered during on-the-record hearings. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for April 29.