A Minnesota law enforcement officer has been charged in the fatal shooting of an unarmed Black motorist during a traffic stop this past summer, CBS News reports.

District Attorney Mary Moriarty of Hennepin County announced that state trooper Ryan Londregan will be charged with second-degree unintentional murder, first-degree assault, and second-degree manslaughter for his alleged involvement in the death of Ricky Cobb II at a news conference on Wednesday (Jan.24).

"Our hearts are with Ricky Cobb's family today, who are grieving an unimaginable loss," Moriarty said. "I know that they are devastated and will continue to feel this loss for the rest of their lives."

Moriarty also said that Londregan's use of deadly force was not necessary to prevent "reasonably likely" death or great bodily harm to any of the officers.

"Ryan Londregan stole my son from me, "Nyra Fields-Miller, Cobb’s mother, said in a statement on local station KMSP. "He gunned Ricky down my son for no reason while he was defenseless. Nothing can ever make up for that. But today’s decision is the first step toward closure and justice."

Chris Madel,  Londregan's attorney, attempted to paint his client as a “hero” during a statement he gave in response to the charges.

"This county attorney has provided sweetheart deals to murderers and kidnappers, and now today she charges a hero," Madel said. "This county attorney is literally out of control. Open season on law enforcement must end, and it's going to end with this case."

The deadly shooting took place on July 31, 2023. Cobb was pulled over on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis because his tail lights were off. After being pulled over by officers, it was discovered Cobb was wanted by Ramsey County law enforcement “for violating a no-contact order in a domestic case.” Londregan along with two other officers were near the vehicle.

After pulling the car over, a dashcam video shows a trooper coming to the driver’s side of the car and askedCobb to step out of the vehicle.

“We just have some stuff to talk about," the trooper said. With his hands raised, Cobb asked the officer why he was being pulled over and he refused to get out of the vehicle.

"Is this a warrant?" Cobb asked then he requested a call to his lawyer.

Londregan allegedly yelled to Cobb, "Get out of the car now!" 

As he attempted to drive away saying that the officers were making an “unlawful arrest”, Londregan shot him two times in his torso as the car began moving.

The criminal complaint states that Londregan fired his weapon "within several tenths of a second" after yelling at Cobb to get out of the vehicle.

The three troopers surrounded the car and pulled Cobb out of the vehicle in an attempt to provide first aid.

Cobb died at the scene.

Cobb's family filed a complaint with the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board in early January arguing that the use of deadly force by Londregan “did not comply with state statutes.”

Fields-Miller said that her son was not a threat to officers during the altercation. She also claimed that officers did not attempt “to de-escalate the situation when Londregan pulled his gun” which violates the state statute that “requires a peace officer to intervene when seeing another officer illegally use deadly force.”

After the announcement of the charges against Londregan, Minnesota State Patrol Col. Matt Langer released a statement on behalf of the department.

“Any time a use-of-force incident ends with the loss of a life, it is tragic. Ricky Cobb II's death is no different. This is a sad situation for everyone involved. We acknowledge the deep loss felt by Mr. Cobb's family and friends,” the statement read. “We also recognize the gravity of this situation for the State Patrol and our troopers tasked with making difficult split-second decisions.“In accordance with the troopers' labor contract, Trooper Ryan Londregan will remain on paid leave while an investigation by the Department of Public Safety's Internal Affairs Division is completed. That investigation has begun and will inform employment decisions.” 

“The State Patrol is also conducting a critical incident review that will examine and inform our training and policies,” the statement continued. “Today's announcement of criminal charges by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office marks the next step in the judicial process related to this case. We respect that process and cannot comment further due to the ongoing criminal proceedings.”

Following the shooting, all three officers were placed on administrative leave