Family demands justice after Corey Ruiz shooting in Madison
The family of Corey Ruiz is demanding justice after Madison police fatally shot the 38-year-old during a struggle on Wednesday. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has joined them, calling the Corey Ruiz shooting an unjustified use of force. State and city investigations are underway as bystander video fuels public scrutiny.
Relatives spoke publicly for the first time Thursday, remembering Ruiz as a creative, kind son, father and brother — not the figure some online comments have painted. His mother, Elsa Ruiz, broke down as she described burying her child.
"They took my baby from me. I never thought I'd have to bury my baby before me," Elsa Ruiz said, according to Channel 3000. She also called him an exceptional man who loved his daughter and family.
His only child, 13-year-old Kah'Liyah, pushed back against claims that her father's past erased his worth. "People, whoever is saying oh but he was a criminal. So what? He had a family, he had me," she said.
Key Takeaways
- Corey Durell Ruiz, 38, was fatally shot by Madison police on Wednesday during a struggle on a busy city street.
- Police say Ruiz pulled a knife, injuring one of four officers; that officer then fired, authorities say.
- Bystander video appears to show Taser use moments before three gunshots; Madison police lack body cameras.
- Attorney Ben Crump calls the shooting an unjustified "execution"; family seeks accountability.
- Wisconsin DOJ and Madison's independent police monitor are investigating; four officers are on leave.
What happened in the Corey Ruiz shooting?
According to police accounts reported by ABC7 Chicago and the Associated Press, officers struggled with Ruiz on Madison's Near East Side. Police say he pulled a knife during a confrontation with four officers and injured one of them. That officer then fired the fatal shots, authorities say.
The Wisconsin State Journal reported that bystander video appears to show Ruiz hit by Tasers seconds before he was shot three times while wielding a knife. In the footage, Ruiz can be seen grabbing at an officer's Taser with his left hand as it is fired, while a second officer prepares to fire another Taser.
Madison Police Chief John Patterson cautioned that cellphone video does not show the altercation from officers' perspectives. Unlike nearly every similarly sized U.S. city, Madison does not require body-worn cameras, so there is no officer-worn footage.
Why is the family demanding justice now?
At Thursday's news conference, Crump repeatedly framed Ruiz's death as an "execution" and said the force was unnecessary, unjustified and unconstitutional. He argued Ruiz had documented mental health issues that should have prompted de-escalation rather than lethal force.
"Anytime there is excessive use of force, there should be accountability," Crump said. "Thank God there was video. If there wasn't video, imagine what the narrative would have been."
For Kah'Liyah, the circulating clips are a painful loop she cannot escape. "I wish I could see him one more time. I wish he could tell me how much he loved me one more time," she said. Follow related accountability coverage in our Fintech & Crypto Alerts hub.
Who is investigating the Madison police shooting?
The Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation is conducting a homicide probe into Ruiz's death. A separate review by the city's independent police monitor is also underway. All four officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.
Crump has questioned whether the state process will prove truly independent. Local reporting notes it could be weeks or months before the public gets fuller answers from the formal inquiry.
What is not in dispute is the family's demand: answers, accountability, and recognition of Corey Ruiz as a father and son whose death they say should never have happened this way.