Lawsuit filed by the family of Ricky Cobb against Trooper Londregan dismissed in federal court
A federal civil lawsuit filed by the family of Ricky Cobb II against Minnesota State Trooper Ryan Londregan and another trooper was dismissed on Wednesday.
Trooper Londregan’s motion to dismiss on the grounds of qualified immunity was granted by United States District Judge Nancy Brasel on Wednesday. According to court records, qualified immunity can provide protection for government officials in lawsuits for civil damages.
The plaintiff, Nyra Miller-Fields — who is a representative of the Estate of Ricky Cobb II — filed the lawsuit against Minnesota State Troopers Ryan Londregan and Brett Seide, alleging that the troopers, particularly Londregan, used excessive force and unreasonable seizure when Londregan shot and killed Cobb last summer.
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Judge Brasel ruled that it was “objectively reasonable for an officer to use deadly force to neutralize what he reasonably believed was a risk of serious physical harm to others, including a fellow officer,” adding that the Court will not “second-guess whether alternative actions by police officers ‘might conceivably have been available.'”
As previously reported, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) previously said a State Patrol trooper saw a Ford Fusion without any taillights traveling on I-94 near Lowry Avenue just after 1:50 a.m.
The trooper pulled the driver over and then learned that the driver, identified as Cobb, was wanted by Ramsey County law enforcement for a felony-level violation, though there was no arrest warrant outstanding in that case.
Londregan arrived at the scene 20 minutes after the initial trooper, who told him that Cobb was wanted by Ramsey County.
Troopers tried to detain Cobb, but DPS says he refused to get out of the vehicle. At that point, Cobb’s hands were not on the steering wheel or gear shifter, and he had not stepped on the brake, according to charging documents.
Then, as troopers tried to remove Cobb from the vehicle, he started driving away. The charging documents stated that as the other trooper’s entire torso was in the vehicle leaning over Cobb, Londregan pulled out his gun and yelled, “Get out of the car now!” before firing his weapon twice several tenths of a second after yelling.
Cobb drove away and after his vehicle stopped a short distance away, troopers provided aid to him but he died at the scene.
Londregan was cleared of charges in August when the Minnesota State Patrol completed its review.
RELATED: Londregan cleared after Minnesota State Patrol internal affairs review of Cobb shooting
Judge Brasel’s decision to dismiss can be read in full below.