Madison police shooting victim identified as Corey Ruiz amid protests, growing calls for accountability

As an independent investigation begins, protesters and the family’s legal team are demanding greater transparency into the fatal encounter.

A Wisconsin man fatally shot during a confrontation with Madison police has been identified as Corey Ruiz. Authorities say Ruiz injured an officer with a knife before another officer opened fire. His family has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, while protests continue in a city with a history of controversial police shootings.

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway identified Ruiz during a Thursday news conference, saying no one should lose their life during an encounter with law enforcement. As reported by CNN, Police Chief John Patterson described the shooting as an active homicide investigation and said the Madison Police Department requested an independent criminal investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation. The agency is expected to release the name of the officer who fired the fatal shots after its review.

Ruiz, who was in his 30s, died Wednesday after officers responded to reports of someone checking parked vehicles and stealing bicycles. Police said Ruiz fled on a bicycle before officers caught up with him near an intersection on Madison’s Near East Side. According to Patterson, a struggle followed. Ruiz allegedly pulled out a large fixed-blade knife and injured one officer. Another officer deployed a Taser, but police said it was ineffective before a different officer fired three shots.

Ruiz’s family has retained attorney Ben Crump, who is calling for authorities to preserve and release all available video, including police and bystander footage. “This case has to be examined for excessive force,” Crump said, adding that the family deserves the truth and the public deserves accountability.

Bystander video circulating online shows officers struggling with Ruiz before shots are fired. The footage has fueled public outrage and prompted renewed demonstrations across Madison. During Thursday’s news conference, a protester interrupted Patterson, accusing city leaders of repeating the same response after another fatal police shooting. Rev. Marcus Allen of Mount Zion Baptist Church said the protester’s emotions reflected how many people in the community are feeling. The shooting has also renewed criticism of Madison’s lack of body-worn cameras. None of the four officers involved was wearing one. Mayor Rhodes-Conway said her upcoming budget includes funding for a body camera program, though full implementation could take several years.

Patterson acknowledged the city’s painful history with police shootings, including the deaths of Tony Robinson in 2015 and Paul Heenan in 2012, both of which sparked public scrutiny. All four officers involved in Wednesday’s incident have been placed on administrative leave while the Wisconsin Department of Justice continues its investigation.