State officials in Wisconsin have opened a homicide investigation into the fatal shooting of 38-year-old Corey Ruiz by a Madison police officer on Wednesday, according to local authorities. The incident, which occurred near the State Capitol and was captured on video, has sparked protests and renewed scrutiny over police use of force in the city.
Madison Police Chief Pledges Cooperation Amid Protests
During an acrimonious news conference on Thursday, Madison Police Chief John Patterson pledged that his department would cooperate fully with state investigators. According to Chief Patterson, “We will not hide from any aspect of this investigation.” The chief also announced that the department would review its training and use-of-force policies following the fatal encounter.
The Thursday news conference grew chaotic when protesters interrupted officials to demand accountability. Carlos Dixon, a write-in candidate for Wisconsin governor, seized the microphone during the briefing and demanded that the involved officers be jailed immediately. City officials allowed Dixon to speak for several minutes before the briefing continued.
Details of the Wednesday Afternoon Shooting
The shooting took place on a busy street in the Marquette neighborhood near the State Capitol. According to Madison officials, officers responded to reports of a person stealing bicycles and attempting to enter parked vehicles. When police approached Ruiz, a struggle ensued, and Ruiz pulled out a knife.
Officers deployed a Taser in an attempt to incapacitate Ruiz, but it was unsuccessful, according to Chief Patterson. An officer who sustained a knife injury during the struggle fired at Ruiz, who was transported to a hospital where he died from his injuries. Four officers were involved in the incident, and all have been placed on administrative leave. One other officer sustained an injury during the struggle, though Chief Patterson noted it did not appear to originate from the knife.
A widely circulated video on social media shows four officers surrounding a man, with one firing a shot as three others attempt to hold him. Chief Patterson cautioned that the video represents only “one perspective” of the event and emphasized that Ruiz was not placed in handcuffs prior to being shot.
Community Response and Historical Context
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway formally identified the victim during Thursday’s press briefing. Following the incident, hundreds of community members participated in a march from the Marquette neighborhood to the Capitol. Residents also gathered near the shooting site to leave flowers and chalk messages demanding justice.
Chief Patterson acknowledged a “thinness of trust” between the community and city officials, drawing parallels to previous fatal police shootings in Madison. In 2015, a white police officer shot and killed 19-year-old Black man Anthony Robinson, and in 2012, police fatally shot Paul Heenan. In both prior cases, the district attorney determined the use of deadly force was justified and did not file charges against the officers.
State investigators are leading the current probe. Once their inquiry concludes, the findings will be handed over to the district attorney’s office to determine whether criminal charges will be filed against the officer involved, according to Chief Patterson.
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