A federal civil rights lawsuit filed by the family of Ricky Cobb II, who was killed last year during a traffic stop by Minnesota State Trooper Ryan Londregan on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis, has been dismissed.
Cobb's family filed the suit back in April, accusing Londregan and another trooper of unreasonable seizure and excessive use of force in violation of Cobb's Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
The judge, in his ruling, said that that several of the allegations fall under the statute of qualified immunity. Under qualified immunity, a suit against a peace officer or other person must be dismissed unless the right alleged to have been violated was “clearly established.”
Criminal charges against Londgren were dropped over the summer when the Hennepin County Attorney's office decided they could no longer meet their burden of proof.
After a traffic stop, the trooper on the driver's side is asking Cobb to leave the vehicle, which it appears Cobb was unwilling to do. After the trooper opens the driver's door and attempts to reach in, Cobb tries to speed away briefly dragging the trooper at which point Londregan shot Cobb multiple times.
Londegren has since returned to his job.