- Corey Ruiz was fatally shot by a Madison police officer during an arrest struggle on July 22.
- Ruiz allegedly injured an officer with a knife before the shooting took place.
- Protests and a vigil were held in Madison, demanding transparency and accountability following the incident.
MADISON, WISCONSIN — Just over two weeks after two Milwaukee police officers were injured during separate Fourth of July weekend incidents, another police encounter captured on video has sparked protests and calls for answers in Wisconsin.
A Madison police officer fatally shot 38-year-old Corey Ruiz during an attempted arrest at the intersection of South Baldwin and Williamson streets on Wednesday afternoon, July 22.
Police said Ruiz injured the officer with a knife moments before the shooting. The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is now conducting an independent review of the encounter.
Officers Respond to Reports of Suspicious Activity
Madison police were dispatched to the city’s Marquette neighborhood after receiving reports of a person stealing bicycles and checking the doors of parked vehicles.
Officers located Ruiz, but police said he rode away on a bicycle and traveled through nearby backyards to avoid them.
Officers encountered him again at about 1:35 p.m. at South Baldwin and Williamson streets. Police said it was still being determined whether Ruiz fell from the bicycle or was pulled from it by officers before a struggle began in the middle of the intersection.
Police Say Ruiz Injured Officer With Knife
During the struggle, police said Ruiz produced a fixed-blade knife and injured one of the officers attempting to take him into custody.
A second officer deployed a Taser, but the device did not stop Ruiz. Police Chief John Patterson said investigators had not yet determined why it was unsuccessful.
Cellphone footage recorded by witnesses shows four officers struggling with Ruiz. Someone can be heard warning that he has a knife, followed by an officer announcing the use of a Taser. Moments later, a single officer appears to fire three shots.
Police said the officer who fired was the same officer injured by the knife. Only one officer discharged a firearm.
A second officer was also injured during the struggle, although police said that injury was not believed to have been caused by the knife.
Ruiz Dies at Hospital
Officers began providing emergency medical care immediately after the shooting.
Ruiz was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. City officials publicly confirmed his identity the following day after his family had been notified.
The officer who fired the shots was also taken to a hospital for treatment and was later released. Police described him as a veteran member of the Madison Police Department but have not released his name.
Four Officers Placed on Leave
Four officers were involved in or witnessed the shooting. All four were placed on administrative leave following the incident.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is reviewing the officers’ actions and gathering footage, witness accounts and physical evidence from the scene.
Madison officers are not routinely equipped with body-worn cameras, meaning the publicly available recordings were captured by witnesses rather than official police cameras.
Police Chief Patterson cautioned that the widely shared cellphone clips show only part of the encounter and do not include everything that happened before the struggle or from other viewing angles. He said investigators would determine whether the officer’s use of deadly force was legally justified.
Shooting Sparks Protests and Vigil
The shooting quickly drew protesters to the intersection and the Wisconsin State Capitol. Demonstrators demanded the release of the officers’ names and a transparent investigation into Ruiz’s death.
Hundreds of people later gathered for a vigil at the shooting location, where relatives, friends and residents placed flowers, candles, balloons and signs at a growing memorial.
Madison officials said the investigation remains open. No determination has been made about whether the officer’s actions were justified, and no officer has been charged.
For more cases in which police encounters unfolded in unexpected ways, watch our video here:
