The questions started almost immediately about whether the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) can do an impartial investigation of the shooting death of a motorist at the hands of a Minnesota State Trooper.

Both agencies are part of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

“We renew our call for an independent, full, and transparent investigation,” the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said in a statement released this week in the aftermath of the shooting of Ricky Cobb II. “We remain concerned about an investigation by the BCA, as it’s in the same department as the State Patrol.”

Members of the Minnesota Legislature’s “People of Color and Indigenous” (POCI) cause also released a statement calling for transparency:

“We respectfully demand transparency and accountability from law enforcement in the wake of another fatal police-involved shooting where a Black man has been killed. It is of the utmost importance that our communities know the truth about what happened so that we can begin to heal, build trust, and demand justice. The Minnesota House and Senate POCI Caucus will continue to pursue and implement policies with urgency to mitigate these occurrences.”

Cobb was pulled over by State Troopers at 1:50 a.m. on Monday after being spotted on Interstate 94 with no taillights on.

When troopers found out Cobb was wanted on “probable cause” for a felony order-for-protection violation issued by Ramsey County, they asked him to step out of his vehicle.

An altercation ensued when he declined to get out and eventually drove off while troopers were trying to physically remove him. One of the troopers discharged his gun and shot Cobb as he drove off.

The Department of Public Safety released the following statement:

“The Minnesota State Patrol asked the BCA to investigate this incident. The BCA was in early contact with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and will continue to consult with the county attorney throughout the investigation. Once the investigation is complete, the BCA will present its findings without a charging recommendation to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for review.”

This could become a political issue in the future if lawmakers decide to look at the relationship between the BCA and Minnesota State Patrol. For now, political analysts say the BCA is probably best suited to do the current investigation.

“The whole thing is tragic,” says Annette Meeks of the Freedom Foundation. “But I don’t know that we solve any problems by delaying the investigation and further clouding the integrity of those who are charged with carrying out a very ethical and important responsibility of investigating this and getting to the bottom of exactly what happened.”

Meeks and former Minnesota DFL Party chair Mike Erlandson discussed the issue on “At Issue” Friday afternoon.

“Ultimately, you want the investigation to be something everybody has confidence in, and so I think you let it play out, and you let people take a look at it,” Erlandson said. “Then maybe you make a determination if it needs to be looked at further by somebody else. Maybe a federal court or some such thing. I would like to think that wouldn’t be the case.”

You can see more on this on “At Issue with Tom Hauser” at 10 a.m. Sunday.