A federal judge Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit against Minnesota state trooper Ryan Londregan in the shooting death of Ricky Cobb II during a 2023 traffic stop.

The decision is the latest development in a case that has drawn heated debate over excessive use of force by law enforcement. Criminal charges against Londregan were dismissed by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty in June, saying the prosecution didn’t have the evidence to proceed with a case.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel granted Londregan’s motion to dismiss the civil suit, arguing he acted reasonably when he opened fire as Cobb’s vehicle lurched forward with another state trooper partly inside.

Londregan’s attorney Chris Madel said Wednesday that it’s been a “long, grueling journey to justice. Ryan Londregan has finally arrived.”

On July 31, 2023, the two troopers pulled over Cobb, 33, on Interstate 94 in north Minneapolis for driving without taillights and later learned he was wanted for violating a felony domestic no-contact order. Cobb refused commands to exit the car.

With Seide partly inside the car while trying to unbuckle Cobb’s seat belt, the car moved forward. Londregan then opened fire, hitting Cobb twice.

In her decision, Brasel said the troopers were mandated by state law to make an arrest given Cobb’s domestic no-contact order violation. She said it was objectively reasonable for Londregan to believe Seide was in immediate danger as the car moved forward on a busy highway, which would make his use of force reasonable.

Farmers without feed were facing costs of $20,000 a week or more to care for a bankrupt company’s poultry, she said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture loaned and granted $45 million to Pure Prairie, and Republican members of Congress, including Minnesota Reps. Brad Finstad and Michelle Fischbach, are demanding answers from the USDA.

“We remain deeply concerned about the lack of oversight USDA has provided in this case,” reads a letter from the contingent of Midwestern lawmakers. “While we share USDA’s desired goals of expanding meat processing capacity and markets and building a robust national food supply chain, … American taxpayers deserve the peace of mind that their dollars are being spent wisely.”

Wisconsin’s Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin urged the agency to “ensure a preventable emergency like this never happens again.”