MADISON, WI — Mourners gathered Friday at a Madison church to honor Corey Ruiz, the 38-year-old man fatally shot by a city police officer on July 22.
The homegoing service at Fountain of Life Covenant Church on Badger Road included a eulogy from the Rev. Al Sharpton, who told the crowd, “Corey matters.”
Family remembers Ruiz as a father, son and creative force
Ruiz’s family described him as more than the details of his death. His daughter, Kah’liyah Aliomar, recently turned 13, and wrote in the funeral program about looking at baby photos of her father and recognizing their resemblance.
His mother, Elsa Ruiz, said losing her first-born son felt like having her heart ripped from her chest. She said he loved his siblings, was praised by teachers and struggled with mental health issues and drug addiction during his life.
An obituary said Ruiz enjoyed writing, drawing and music, and expressed his artistic side through his tattoos, style and braided hair. It also said he grew up in Madison, attended local schools and later earned a GED.
Sharpton criticizes city leadership and says activists want accountability
Sharpton used the service to back protesters calling for answers after Ruiz’s death. He praised the interracial coalition of young activists who took part in the demonstrations and said they had shown more courage than officials at City Hall.
He also argued that city leaders were seeking quiet rather than peace. In remarks to reporters before the funeral, Sharpton said he came to Madison after seeing bystander video of the shooting and said the case could have been his own family member.
During the service, he said the activists had demonstrated the true meaning of accountability and democracy and should be saluted rather than attacked.
State investigators review the shooting as officers remain on leave
Wisconsin’s Department of Justice is investigating the shooting, and four Madison officers are on leave during the review. Earlier this week, the agency identified the officer who fired the shot as Kiel Baitinger-Peterson.
According to the DOJ, Ruiz pulled out a knife during an attempted arrest, and Baitinger-Peterson was injured. Attorneys for the Ruiz family said they expect to release results from an independent autopsy in the coming days.
The shooting set off days of protest in Wisconsin’s capital and led activists to block streets and shut down that night’s Concert on the Square at the state Capitol. A makeshift memorial later grew into an encampment that stretched across multiple city blocks before city crews cleared it on Aug. 4.
Ruiz family urges peace after encampment is cleared
In a statement released through attorneys on Aug. 5, the Ruiz family said they never authorized the encampment and asked people in Madison to remain peaceful.
Ruiz’s sister, Veronica Ruiz, said he often came to her for help and that incarceration had taken a toll on his spirit. She criticized how his past was used to dehumanize him and said city officials had not reached out directly to offer condolences.
The family’s legal team includes attorney Ben Crump, who has represented families in several nationally known civil cases, including those involving George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown.
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