Madison police shooting: Corey Ruiz family, attorneys talk
MADISON, Wis. - The family of Corey Ruiz, the man shot and killed by a Madison police officer on Wednesday, has hired Attorney Ben Crump. The family and attorney held a news conference on Friday, July 24.
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This is a developing story. Check back for udpates, and read an earlier version of this story below.
Shooting investigation
The backstory:
Madison Police Chief John Patterson said officers responded to calls about a man stealing bicycles and checking car doors and confronted him on Wednesday, but he rode away on a bicycle.
Police later encountered the man again, at Baldwin and Williamson, and the man "fell or was pulled off the bicycle." There was a struggle in the middle of the intersection, and police said the man pulled out a knife and injured an officer.
Corey Ruiz (photo provided by Jazzman Brown)
Officers used a taser to try to take the man into custody before the injured officer shot the man, since identified as Ruiz. Ruiz was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Madison police said the four involved officers were placed on administrative leave as the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation investigates the shooting as a homicide.
The Madison Police Department does not have body-worn cameras for officers. After prior efforts to fund bodycams were shut down, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said this week that she will include funding for them in her next budget.
Hundreds gather on Madison streets after police shooting of Corey Ruiz (July 23, 2026)
Overnight protests in Madison
What they're saying:
Tension in Madison remain high in the days since the shooting. Demonstrators marched and demanded accountability in Madison overnight. A large crowd has occupied the intersection where Ruiz was shot.
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Ruiz's family has hired prominent civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who shared a statement saying: "THIS CASE HAS TO BE EXAMINED FOR EXCESSIVE FORCE."
Crump has represented the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others who were all killed in officer-involved shootings.
This story was updated with a correction and to add new information.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Madison Police Department and Chief John Patterson and Crump's office. FOX6 News also referenced prior reporting on the incident.