A federal judge has dismissed a civil lawsuit against a Minnesota state trooper stemming from the fatal shooting of a man during an attempted traffic stop along a Twin Cities freeway last year.

Judge Nancy Brasel granted trooper Ryan Londregan’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought by the family of Ricky Cobb II.

Cobb, 33, was pulled over on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis at about 2 a.m. on July 31, 2023, after troopers said they could not see taillights on his car. When troopers reached into the vehicle to try to arrest Cobb for allegedly violating a Ramsey County protection order, Cobb started to drive away. Londregan fired several shots into the vehicle, fatally wounding Cobb.

The lawsuit, filed last April, had alleged that Londregan and a second trooper at the scene, Brett Seide, used excessive force and violated Cobb’s civil rights. Londregan filed a motion to dismiss in May and a hearing on that motion was held in late July.

In an order filed Wednesday, Brasel wrote that the court “cannot conclude that Londregan violated a clearly-established right when he made the decision to shoot Cobb.”

Brasel wrote that Londregan is entitled to qualified immunity — a legal doctrine that protects police and other officials from civil lawsuits unless they knowingly violate a clearly established constitutional right.

Brasel also wrote that evidence from the scene contradicted assertions made in the lawsuit, and she wrote that “it was objectively reasonable for an officer to use deadly force to neutralize what he reasonably believed was a risk of serious physical harm to others, including a fellow officer.”

Londregan had also faced criminal charges in connection with Cobb’s death. Those charges were dropped in June, with Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty saying it was impossible to prove unauthorized use of force.

Seide, the second trooper named in the Cobb family’s civil lawsuit, has also moved to dismiss the case. A hearing on that motion was held on Oct. 9; a decision is pending.

— MPR News

MnDOT plans forum on South Robert project

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is asking community members to attend a Nov. 19 public meeting to provide feedback on plans for improving safety and access on Minnesota 3/South Robert Street in West St. Paul.

The meeting will be in person from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Wentworth Library, 199 Wentworth Ave. E., in West St. Paul. The event will allow attendees to hear about the design concepts, provide feedback and ask questions. There is not a formal presentation.

Those unable to attend can provide feedback using an online survey until Nov. 26. For more information about this study, how to provide feedback or to sign up for email updates, go to mndot.gov/metro/projects/southrobertstreet.

In February, MnDOT began studying possible improvements to safety and connectivity for those who walk, bike, access transit and drive in the area. This section of South Robert Street was reconstructed in 2015 to 2016 to improve mobility, access management and safety. However, the section of roadway has continued to have safety concerns.

— Pioneer Press

Landmark store to mark its 175th anniversary

Minnesota’s oldest general store will mark its 175th anniversary on Saturday with free cake and coffee in Marine on St. Croix.

The Marine General Store is a local landmark in the tiny Washington County town, where residents have gathered to pick up groceries and swap gossip for generations.

Saturday’s festivities, which are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., will also include special bargains on select items, a musical performance at noon, and a few surprises, according to the store’s manager.

Founded in 1849 by the Judd, Walker & Co. sawmill, the store is one of the oldest continuously operated businesses in Minnesota. Its current home was built in 1870.

— Pioneer Press

4 voters sue state over ballot challenges

Four voters and a Hispanic civil rights group sued Iowa’s top election official, alleging he infringed upon their rights when he directed election workers to challenge some voters’ ballots in an attempt to keep ineligible noncitizens from illegally voting.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa filed a legal challenge in federal court late Wednesday on behalf of four individuals flagged by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate as registered voters who might not be citizens. They are naturalized citizens, according to the complaint.

Concern about elections being undermined by noncitizen voting has been a focus of political messaging this year from Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump and other Republicans, even though such voting is rare in U.S. elections.

— Associated Press