MADISON, WI — Wisconsin officials have opened a homicide investigation into the fatal police shooting of Corey Ruiz, 38, in Madison. Police said Ruiz was shot Wednesday after a struggle with four officers, and the case has already drawn protests and calls for more transparency.
Madison police Chief John Patterson said the state Department of Justice Criminal Investigation Division will handle the inquiry because the officers involved worked for that agency. He said the department will cooperate fully and that the name of the officer who fired the shots will be released.
How the shooting unfolded
Police said officers were responding to a report of someone trying to get into parked vehicles when they tracked Ruiz down after he fled on a bike. Patterson said Ruiz fell or was pulled off the bike during the encounter, then pulled out a knife and injured one officer in the struggle.
According to police, an officer tried to use a taser, but it did not work. The injured officer then fired three shots, and Ruiz later died at the hospital.
Family and legal response
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Ruiz’s family, called the shooting unnecessary, unjustified and unconstitutional. He appeared with Ruiz’s mother, Elsa Ruiz, who said her son loved his family and said she never expected to bury her child before he buried her.
Ruiz’s brother, Adam Ruiz, also criticized the shooting and asked for justice. Bystander video from the scene has circulated online, and Crump said that footage matters in the case.
Questions still facing investigators
Police said none of the officers were wearing body cameras at the time of the shooting. All of the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation moves forward.
Patterson said the video shared online shows only one view of the incident, and he told reporters that not all of the evidence is public yet. The shooting also revived memories of the 2014 killing of Tony Robinson on the same street, a case in which no charges were filed.
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