Supreme Court Declines Appeal in Ricky Cobb Shooting Suit

The high court left intact lower-court rulings that found a Minnesota trooper's use of deadly force reasonable.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Law Enforcement

Supreme Court Declines Appeal in Ricky Cobb Shooting Suit

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal in a lawsuit against Minnesota troopers over the July 31, 2023, fatal shooting of Ricky Cobb on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis. The decision leaves in place lower-court rulings finding the trooper's use of deadly force reasonable.

Why it matters

The ruling closes the federal civil route for Cobb's family, which had sought $25 million from the state. Minnesota residents who rely on state troopers for traffic stops now have a legal precedent that deadly force against a driver who refuses commands can be deemed reasonable.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined review, ending the federal civil appeal after U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel dismissed the suit in 2024 and the Eighth Circuit upheld that dismissal. The $570,000 spent on outside counsel and the $25 million demand are the only case-cost figures reported.

The players

Mary Moriarty

Hennepin County Attorney who charged Trooper Londregan with second-degree murder, first-degree assault and second-degree manslaughter before later dismissing the charges.

Nancy Brasel

U.S. District Court judge who dismissed the civil lawsuit brought by Cobb's family against the troopers in 2024.

The details

Trooper Seide stopped Cobb at 1:52 a.m. for driving without headlights and learned Cobb was wanted in Ramsey County for violating a felony order for protection. As Seide leaned into the car to reach for Cobb's seat belt, Trooper Londregan opened the passenger door, and when Cobb put the car in drive, Londregan fired twice.

July 31, 2023: Cobb was fatally shot on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis.
2024: Judge Brasel dismissed the lawsuit, and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty charged Londregan.
2024: Moriarty later dismissed the charges against Londregan.
Monday, November 10, 2026: The Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal.

Legal Context

The Supreme Court's refusal to take the case completes the federal path that began with Judge Brasel's 2024 dismissal, which the Eighth Circuit upheld. Together these rulings set the precedent that a trooper's fatal shot at a driver who refuses commands can be found reasonable under federal civil-rights review.

With the federal civil suit closed, Minnesota drivers who are stopped by troopers face no pending federal damages action arising from this case. Residents of Ramsey and Hennepin counties should note that criminal charges against the trooper were dismissed, so no criminal outcome will be decided in court.

The takeaway

Drivers and residents should understand that federal civil remedies for police shootings can end at the appellate level without a trial, so documentation and state-level accountability channels matter. Following later filings in similar Minnesota cases can show how courts apply the reasonableness standard.