St. Paul, MN – A Minnesota state trooper shot and killed Ricky Cobb II early Monday morning on Interstate 94. The escalation of events turned tragic when troopers tried to forcefully apprehend Mr. Cobb from his vehicle. In the ensuing struggle, a state trooper on the passenger side of his car shot Mr. Cobb. The BCA is investigating this incident.
Cobb is the latest in a long line of Black motorists killed by law enforcement in the Twin Cities, following the high-profile shooting deaths of Philando Castile and Daunte Wright.
The Minnesota House and Senate POCI Caucus issued the following statement:
“We are outraged that another Black family in Minnesota has lost a loved one due to a police shooting. The impact of police shootings of Black and Brown motorists is profound and far-reaching. It continues to cause a devastating impact on individuals, families, and entire communities. BIPOC people and specifically Black people are disproportionately stopped by police while driving, and they are more likely to be killed or injured by police than white people. This is a reality that Black people live with every day. This reality is unacceptable and cannot be normalized by our society or state.
“The historical implications of Black and Brown people dying at the hands of law enforcement compared to white people are deeply rooted and widespread across the nation. They have shaped the way that Black people experience life in America, and they have contributed to the legacy of racism and discrimination that continues to plague our country. We respectfully demand transparency and accountability from law enforcement in the wake of another fatal police-involved shooting where a Black man has been killed. It is of the utmost importance that our communities know the truth about what happened so that we can begin to heal, build trust, and demand justice. The Minnesota House and Senate POCI Caucus will continue to pursue and implement policies with urgency to mitigate these occurrences.”
The House POCI Caucus is comprised of; Co-Chair Rep. Esther Agbaje (59B), Co-Chair Rep. Cedrick Frazier (43A), Vice Chair Rep. Alicia Kozlowski (08B), Rep. Jamie, Becker-Finn (40B), Rep. Ethan Cha (47B), Rep. Mary Frances Clardy (53A), Rep. Aisha Gomez (62A), Rep. Hodan Hassan (62B), Kaohly Vang Her (64A), Rep. Athena Hollins (66B), Rep. Samakab Hussein (65A), Rep. Heather Keeler (04A), Rep. Fue Lee (59A), Rep. Liz Lee (67A), Rep. Mohamud Noor (60B), Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega (65B), Rep. Ruth Richardson (52B), Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura (63A), Rep. Samantha Vang (38B), and Rep. Jay Xiong (67B).
The members of the Senate POCI Caucus are Chair Senator Mary Kunesh (39), Senator Omar Fateh (62), Senator Foung Hawj (67), Senator Alice Mann (50), Senator Erin Maye Quade (56), Senator Zaynab Mohamed (63), Senator Clare Oumou Verbeten (66), Senator Susan Pha (38), and Senator Tou Xiong (44).