A federal civil lawsuit brought against Minnesota State Trooper Ryan Londregan was dismissed on Wednesday. The lawsuit was brought by the family of Ricky Cobb II, who was shot by Londregan during an altercation with state troopers during a traffic stop in 2023.
In their civil suit, the Cobb family asserted that the trooper’s actions during the traffic stop constituted unreasonable seizure and excessive force.
Among other things, the Cobb family sought damages that would include attorney’s fees, punitive damages, and compensatory, actual, and consequential damages.
However, the case was dismissed after Judge Nancy Brasel granted a motion to dismiss that was authored by Londregan’s attorney.
In granting the motion to dismiss, Judge Brasel addressed the unreasonable seizure claim, saying, “Because Londregan’s conduct did not violate a constitutional right, he is entitled to qualified immunity on these unreasonable seizure claims.”
The Trump-appointed judge also knocked down the excessive force claim, saying that under the established case law, “the Court cannot conclude that Londregan violated a clearly established right when he made the decision to shoot Cobb.”
“Judge Brasel correctly opined that Trooper Londregan was placed in a dynamic situation that required a split-second decision,” said Imran Ali, the general counsel for the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA). “The dismissal of this unlawful prosecution and this civil dismissal again tells us: this case should have never been charged.”
At the beginning of 2024, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty filed criminal murder charges against Londregan before dropping those charges in June. Additionally, an internal affairs investigation of Londregan was also completed this year and found the state trooper did nothing wrong.
As such, the dismissal of the federal civil lawsuit marks what is likely the final milestone in the massive legal saga that surrounded Trooper Londregan.
“It has been a long, grueling journey to justice,” said Chris Madel, an attorney for Londregan. “Trooper Ryan Londregan has finally arrived.”
Alpha News has extensively covered the legal saga surrounding the Ryan Londregan case. Additionally, the Londregan case is featured prominently in Alpha News’ latest documentary film, “Minnesota v. We the People.”