Madison police shooting: Corey Ruiz identified as man killed
Madison police shooting, Corey Ruiz vigil
Hundreds of people gathered on Madison streets demanding answers from police, organizing a vigil for Corey Ruiz, the man shot and killed by an officer.
MADISON, Wis. - Public officials and others have identified Corey Ruiz as the man shot and killed by a Madison police officer on Wednesday, July 22.
Who is Corey Ruiz?
What they're saying:
FOX6 News spoke with Jazzman Brown, who runs the nonprofit that organized a Thursday night vigil for Ruiz. She identified Ruiz and said they were friends.
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Several lawmakers, including State Rep. Greta Neubauer and State Rep. Shelia Stubbs, have also identified Ruiz as the man who was killed.
Corey Ruiz (photo provided by Jazzman Brown)
The Madison Police Department has not named Ruiz. However, Police Chief John Patterson has said the man who was shot was in his 30s.
Ruiz's family has retained Attorney Ben Crump, his law office announced Thursday. The civil rights attorney has represented the families of other people killed in high-profile police shootings, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
"The video gives us a clear picture of what happened. Corey Ruiz was tased, taken to the ground, and then he was shot multiple times at close range, including in his face," a statement from Krump read. "This case has to be examined for excessive force. It happened in broad daylight, in front of dozens of witnesses. The family deserves the truth, and the public deserves accountability."
Vigil for Corey Ruiz
What they're saying:
For the second straight night, hundreds of people gathered on Madison streets demanding answers from police. Organizers called for a peaceful vigil in Ruiz's honor at Baldwin and Williamson, where he was shot.
A speaker at the vigil said they plan to occupy the space until the officer who shot Ruiz is arrested. They also want the Madison Police Department to purchase body-worn cameras for officers, which they don't currently have. Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said she will include funding for bodycams in her next budget.
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The group brought mattresses, grills and tents to the intersection. Garbage cans outside businesses and homes were set up as road blocks – in addition to Madison Department of Public Works dump trucks.
Everyone who spoke to FOX6 News shared one of two emotions: anger or frustration. They said what happened Wednesday, regardless of the circumstances, struck a chord.
"We need to be strategically thinking about what we're going to do to hold individuals and other entities, government officials, accountable for this continuing behavior," said James Morgan, a Madison resident.
What's next:
Organizers said they plan to start another march from the intersection of Baldwin and Williamson on Friday. They said they cannot let the energy and momentum that fuels their frustration go by the wayside.
Shooting investigation
Big picture view:
On Thursday, Patterson said the shooting is being investigated as a homicide. The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is "fully in charge" of that investigation, and Patterson said the police department will fully cooperate.
Police said officers were initially called for reports that someone was stealing bicycles and checking vehicle doors in Madison's Marquette neighborhood on July 22. They found the man, but he rode away on a bicycle.
Officers spotted the man again in the area of Baldwin and Williamson, a little more than a mile northeast of the Capitol, at around 1:35 p.m. Police said the man "fell or was pulled off the bicycle, this is still being determined." There was then a struggle in the middle of the inspection between the man and officers.
During the struggle, police said the man pulled out a knife and injured an officer. Officers tried using a taser to take the man into custody, but they were unsuccessful. The injured officer then shot the man.
Madison police shooting a homicide investigation, chief says
The Madison police chief said the officer-involved shooting that killed a man is being investigated as a homicide.
The Madison Police Department said officers provided life-saving attempts at the scene, and the man was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Including the officer who shot the man, four officers were involved in or witnessed the shooting. All four will be placed on administrative leave. The department described the officer who fired his weapon as a "veteran officer."
Madison Police Department officers do not have body-worn cameras, according to WMTV-TV.
The Madison Police Department said a second officer was also injured, but it's not clear how. At this time, it is not believed to be a knife wound. The DOJ said a knife was recovered at the scene.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is now investigating the officer-involved shooting, the police department said. That investigation remains active.
Protests erupted across Madison Wednesday after police shot and killed a man. Police say that man had a knife and injured another officer.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Madison Police Department and Wisconsin Department of Justice. FOX6 News went to a vigil and conducted interviews for additional details about Ruiz.