What Does The Dismissal of Charges Against Ryan Londregan Mean For The Future of Minnesota State Patrol And Minnesotans?

MINNEAPOLIS— Murder charges have been dropped against Minnesota State Trooper Ryan Londregan in the fatal shooting of Black motorist Ricky Cobb II during a traffic stop last summer.

Londregan is not a lone “bad apple” serving the Minnesota State Patrol. Behavior like his is fostered at its roots and supported by state leaders all the way up to the highest branches of the tree.  

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty filed a notice of dismissal of the charges against Londregan on Sunday evening, stating that there have been “several new pieces of evidence that would make it impossible for the State to prove that Mr. Londregan’s actions were not an authorized use of force by a peace officer.”

Last July, Cobb was pulled over by troopers on I-94 in north Minneapolis when troopers noticed there was a warrant out for him in Ramsey County. When their backup, Londregan, arrived on the scene, he stood at Cobb’s passenger side door, while another trooper stood in front of the driver side door. 

Cobb’s questions about if and why he was being detained went ignored. He wasn’t even told he was being arrested for more than 20 minutes after the encounter began. Cobb then took his foot off the break and his car slowly lurched forward. Londregan fired twice, hitting Cobb in the chest and killing him. 

In her statement, Moriarty was particularly critical of the tactics used by Londregan, “Today’s necessary decision does not change that fact, nor does it exonerate Mr. Londregan or the methods his supervisors used to train him in difficult situations.” Londregan’s lawyers would later argue he fired only after he saw Cobb reaching for Londregan’s gun— a defense backed with no proof. 

“There are so many points at which Mr. Londregan could have handled the situation differently, and if he had, Ricky Cobb might still be alive,” she continued.

In a press statement released after charges against Londregan were dropped, Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA) Executive Director Brian Peters said, “Open season on law enforcement needs to end – on the streets and in the courtroom. Trooper Londregan should have never been charged, and we are glad this political case is over. Enough is enough.”

This isn’t the first time the MPPOA has backed Londregan. Earlier this year, when the trooper appeared at the Hennepin County Government Center, he was greeted by hundreds of current and retired law enforcement officers. His fans, who were assembled by the MPPOA, were reportedly bussed in from all over the state by the organization. They were even given t-shirts to wear which proclaimed Londregan’s innocence. 

Governor Tim Walz considered removing the case from Hennepin County’s jurisdiction, saying of Moriarty’s decision to charge Londregan, “Our community’s going to be hurt. Our community is going to be more divided than ever all because of this decision, horrible decision, that she made.” It is unsurprising that Governor Walz, the head of the state, would seemingly support the State Patrol, which serves under him. 

“It was my hope that the county attorney would get to this position, that was very clear,” Governor Walz stated in reaction to Moriarty announcing the dropped charges. “At some point — had this decision not been made — yes, we would have done that … There’s a safety net in there to allow for an egregious situation like this could be corrected and yes, we would have used that.”

Londregan isn’t the only state trooper who was, apparently, improperly trained. Several journalists settled a case against the Minneapolis Police Department for $950,000 and Minnesota State Patrol for $825,000, after being assaulted by officers in 2020 while covering the uprising in Minneapolis following the police-murders of George Floyd and Daunte Wright.

Among other complaints, the lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of the journalists by The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, alleged that the members of the press were subjected to tear gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray in several separate attacks at the hands of law enforcement.

If the state continues to protect and defend troopers who abuse their power and overlook discriminatory behaviors, Londregan will certainly not be the last trooper to fatally injure someone during, what could have been, a routine encounter.