Family gathers to remember Black motorist killed by state troopers

Tears welled in Ricky Cobb Sr.'s eyes as his son's casket was carried into the Immanuel Baptist Tabernacle Saturday.

Michele Amos, a longtime family friend, rested her hand on the 56-year-old father's back. He had little to say. But more than a hundred people gathered with Cobb to celebrate the life of his son Ricky Cobb II, the 33-year-old Black man shot dead by a state trooper during a July 31 traffic stop.

A slideshow of the younger Cobb dancing, hugging family and smiling with his kids played as people filed into the Robbinsdale church. Some embraced while others cried behind sunglasses. Lights along the walls illuminated the words "Faith," "Hope," and "Love" as Marvin Sapp's "Never Would Have Made It" played through the church speakers.

Cobb and his siblings were baptized in the church nearly a decade ago. As friends and family reminisced, many said their final goodbyes to a man who made a lasting impact on their lives.

"Uncle Ricky, a million words cannot bring you back. I know because I have tried," one family member, Kiyah, said in Cobb's obituary.

Cobb was killed after State Patrol troopers pulled him over on Interstate 94 for driving without taillights. Troopers learned that Cobb was wanted for questioning about an alleged felony-level violation of a domestic order for protection in Ramsey County, but he declined to exit his vehicle.

"We just have some stuff to talk about. … We'll explain," trooper Brett Seide said in body camera footage released a day after the shooting. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the agency investigating the shooting, named Seide and Ryan Londregan as the troopers involved.

Family later confirmed that the violation troopers referred to involved an active protective order taken out by the mother of Cobb's 5- and 6-year-old children.

As Seide opened the driver's side door, Londregan opened the passenger side to get Cobb out of the vehicle. Londregan yelled "Get out of the car now!" before firing multiple shots at Cobb.

Footage shows the car jump forward and knock down both troopers. Both returned to their squad cars and drove a short distance, as Cobb's car slowed and drifted to the left side of the lanes. They pulled him out and gave him medical aid.

Cobb died of multiple gunshot wounds. The interaction with the troopers lasted 80 seconds.

Supporters at Saturday's funeral remembered Cobb as a hard-working mechanic who loved fixing cars and the problems that troubled the people he loved. They asked that people stand in solidarity for the family, who have been promised a "transparent, thorough and fast investigation" by Gov. Tim Walz.

As many called for transparency and action during Cobb's funeral Saturday, Amos asked the community to support each other — especially the children.

"Embrace your children. Love your children, because they don't get love from nobody but us," Amos said. "I'm tired of burying our sons. ... We just want our sons to survive, [to] live, raise their children, laugh and grow old. That's all."