Trooper Charged with Murder in Shooting Death
Trooper Ryan Londregan Faces Second-Degree Murder Charge
By Steve Karnowski and Trisha Ahmed | Updated 9:36 PM PDT January 24, 2024
MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota State Patrol Trooper Ryan Londregan has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of a man during a traffic stop last month. The charges were announced by Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman on Tuesday.
Londregan is accused of fatally shooting Daunte Wright, 20, during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center on April 11. Body camera footage released by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety showed Londregan firing his gun as Wright attempted to drive away with a Brooklyn Center police officer clinging to the man's car.
Londregan's attorney, Earl Gray, said his client "made a horrible, split-second mistake" but did not intend to kill Wright. He said Londregan thought Wright was trying to grab the officer's gun and that he fired in self-defense.
Freeman, however, said there was "no justification" for Londregan's use of deadly force. He said Wright was unarmed and did not pose a threat to the officers.
The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association released a letter to Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday defending Londregan and calling for an independent investigation into the case. The letter said Londregan's actions were "reasonable and necessary" to protect the officers involved in the traffic stop.
The case has sparked protests and calls for police reform across the state of Minnesota. Wright's death came just over a year after the death of George Floyd, another Black man who was killed by Minneapolis police officers.
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