MADISON, Wisconsin: A 38-year-old man killed by a Madison police officer was shot three times during a struggle after an officer was cut with a knife, police said, as an independent investigation into the shooting continues.
Corey Durell Ruiz was killed on July 22 at the intersection of Williamson and South Baldwin streets, less than two miles from the Wisconsin State Capitol. Officers had responded to reports of a man attempting to enter parked vehicles in the area.
Madison Police Chief John Patterson said Ruiz fled on a bicycle before officers caught up with him and attempted to take him into custody. Police said Ruiz produced a knife during the struggle and injured one of the officers.
Another officer tried to use a Taser, but it did not stop the confrontation, according to police. The injured officer then fired three shots at Ruiz. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.
Several bystanders recorded the shooting on their phones, and videos of the encounter circulated online soon afterward. The footage has fuelled questions from Ruiz’s family and local activists about whether officers could have brought the situation under control without using deadly force.
Police have not publicly identified the officer who fired the shots, but said the officer is an 11-year veteran of the department. The officers involved were placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.
Ruiz’s family has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who said he believes the officer who fired the shots should face criminal charges.
At a news conference, Ruiz’s mother, daughter and siblings called for accountability and questioned why the encounter ended with his death.
“My heart was broken,” Ruiz’s 13-year-old daughter, Kah’Liyah Aliomar, said while recalling the moment she learned her father had been killed.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation is leading an independent inquiry into the shooting. Madison’s Office of the Independent Police Monitor is also expected to conduct a separate review.
The killing has prompted several days of vigils, demonstrations and street closures in Madison. Some major public events were cancelled, postponed or altered as protesters gathered near the shooting site, outside police headquarters and around the state Capitol.
Madison police officers do not routinely wear body cameras, leaving investigators to rely on witness recordings, officer accounts, physical evidence and other available records to reconstruct the confrontation. City officials have said they hope to begin deploying body cameras next year.
Police have urged the public not to reach conclusions before the investigation is completed. Ruiz’s family and supporters, however, say the videos already available raise serious questions about the officers’ actions and the amount of force used.
No criminal charges had been announced as of July 29.
