State trooper charged with second-degree murder in death of man during traffic stop in Minneapolis

(CNN) – A Minnesota State Patrol trooper was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Ricky Cobb II during a traffic stop in Minneapolis last year. State Trooper Ryan Londregan also faces charges of first-degree assault and second-degree manslaughter, according to a criminal complaint filed in court. Related Stories “State troopers may only use deadly force when it is necessary to protect a person from a specific identified threat of great bodily harm or death that was reasonably likely to occur. That did not exist in this case,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said at a news conference. “Ricky Cobb II should be alive today.” Investigators said Cobb was pulled over July 31 on Interstate 94 by three troopers for not having taillights turned on at night, and troopers determined he was wanted for violating a protective order in Ramsey County. Body camera video showed that Cobb – who is Black – refused to leave his vehicle after being told that he was not facing an arrest warrant. Londregan – who is White – and another trooper, are seen trying to physically remove Cobb from the car, and the vehicle appears to move forward slowly. The criminal...