- A Madison police officer fatally shot a man in his 30s after a struggle in which the suspect allegedly used a knife, injuring the officer.
- Cellphone video capturing the shooting circulated on social media, showing three gunshots at close range.
- Protests erupted in the neighborhood, with demonstrators chanting for accountability and marching to the Wisconsin State Capitol.
- The incident occurred on the same street where Tony Robinson, a biracial man, was shot and killed by a white officer in 2015, a case that also sparked large protests.
- The Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation is leading the inquiry, standard practice for police-involved shootings.
- Protests led to the cancellation or disruption of several signature summertime events, including the grand opening of a public market, a neighborhood festival, and the early closure of the downtown farmers market.
Officer-Involved Shooting in Popular Madison Neighborhood
A Madison police officer shot and killed a man Wednesday on a city street in a popular neighborhood lined with restaurants, bars, shops and residential homes less than two miles from the Wisconsin State Capitol, just yards away from a popular 52-year-old food co-op, triggering immediate protests and renewed scrutiny of police use of force. Police Chief John Patterson, who is white, said the officer fired after the suspect stabbed him with a knife during an arrest attempt. Patterson also offered his sympathies: "I want to take a moment to honestly and sincerely offer my heartfelt sympathies to his family for this loss." The deceased, described by police as in his 30s, has been identified by Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and District 6 Alder Davey Mayer as Corey Durell Ruiz. Community advocates say he was Black. Ruiz, 38, was a homeless resident. Court records show Ruiz had been in and out of jail over the past decade on mostly misdemeanor charges including failing to pay child support, driving a vehicle without consent, jumping bail, threatening authorities, taking a vehicle without consent, possessing drug paraphernalia, retail theft, disorderly conduct, battery and invasion of privacy. Wisconsin court records also show Ruiz was convicted of felonies including possession of cocaine and marijuana, robbery, strangulation, causing bodily harm, and resisting an officer. Ruiz is identified as Black or Latino in Wisconsin court records. The race of the officer who fired his gun has not been released by police. Ruiz's family has retained Ben Crump, an attorney who has represented the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, who were all shot and killed by the police. Crump said the case must be examined for excessive force. Crump also stated that Ruiz was shot "multiple times at close range, including in his face." At a news conference on Friday, Ruiz's mother, Elsa Ruiz, tearfully described her son as an exceptional man who loved his daughter and family. "He did not deserve to be taken out like that. They took my baby from me," she said. Crump called the shooting an unjustified "execution," echoing the family's demand for justice. Crump also said the officer should face criminal charges.
What the Cellphone Video Shows
Cellphone footage shared widely on social media captures the final moments of the encounter. The suspect either fell off his bike or was taken off his bike by officers during the struggle. Three officers are seen struggling with the suspect on the ground. Footage shows numerous cars stopped in the intersection with people watching as it unfolded. After a brief loss of control, the suspect frees his arms and attempts to get up off his knees. One officer appears to reach for his pistol, when a female officer runs toward the others shouting "Taser! Taser!" That officer did not draw her firearm. After some jostling, the suspect falls to the ground. As he goes down, another officer rises to his feet, pulls out his pistol, leans down toward the man on the ground and fires three shots at close range, about two seconds after the Taser was deployed, according to CBS News review. After the shots, the officer re-holsters his gun and places the suspect's arm behind his back, before standing up and walking away. Two other officers then push the suspect onto his belly, and others arrive to attempt medical attention. In the video, an officer can be heard shouting, "He's got a knife!" and after the shooting, a knife is seen being thrown to the ground. The police department released a photo of the knife, which has a black handle, and blood is visible alongside it in the image. Chief Patterson cautioned that the video offers only one perspective. The officer who fired had been injured by the suspect's knife, according to Patterson, who described him as a veteran but did not release his name. The veteran officer was the only one who fired his weapon.
Police responded to reports of someone trying to enter parked cars and stealing bicycles. The suspect fled on a bike through backyards before being confronted. During the struggle, the suspect allegedly pulled a fix-blade knife and injured an officer. A taser deployment was unsuccessful. Another officer was also injured, though the cause is unclear; the department said it did not believe the officer's injuries were caused by the knife. All four responding officers will be placed on administrative leave. The encounter occurred at the intersection of South Baldwin and Williamson streets, according to news reports. It remains unclear whether Ruiz was actually responsible for the reported bicycle theft. Lifesaving measures were provided at the scene, and the man was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
None of the four officers wore body cameras, a fact that has drawn criticism. The Madison Police Department, with around 500 officers, is among the largest in the Midwest that does not use the devices. Chief Patterson has said that securing funding for body cameras is a top priority. The lack of body camera footage means investigators and the public do not have officers' firsthand video of the encounter. The shooting has renewed debate over Madison's yearslong effort to equip officers with body-worn cameras. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said Thursday she wants to include funding for body cameras in the city's 2027 budget, according to WKOW, though she has not said whether she supports Police Chief John Patterson's proposed phased rollout. Calls for Madison police officers to wear body cameras intensified after the 2015 fatal shooting of Tony Robinson, though the effort stalled for years, according to WKOW. The station reported that a committee recommended a pilot program in 2021, which was launched in 2024. The 90-day trial found body cameras could improve trust, legitimacy and transparency without changing officer behavior or leading to additional charges after officers reviewed footage. WKOW also reported that some activists have opposed body cameras, arguing the footage could be used to prosecute more people rather than increase police accountability. However, both former Police Chief Shon Barnes and Patterson have publicly supported adopting the technology. After failing to secure funding for a department-wide rollout in the 2026 budget, Patterson proposed a phased three-year implementation beginning with the North District in his 2027 capital budget request. Rhodes-Conway said the city must establish clear policies before implementing a department-wide program. "Before we implement a full body-worn camera program, it's very important for us to have the correct policies in place," she said.
At a news conference, Patterson elaborated on the dangers of knife incidents: "When a knife is produced during an arrest, the overall situation is clearly elevated and becomes incredibly dangerous. It obviously increases risks for everyone there. For every officer. For the person as well. I think it severely narrows the scope of options and possible outcomes." Patterson also addressed misinformation circulating online, saying video he has reviewed does not support claims that Ruiz was handcuffed before he was shot. He cautioned that multiple videos of the incident exist and investigators are reviewing all available evidence before reaching conclusions.
Patterson further promised, "I can promise you this department will cooperate with DCI; we will not hide from any aspect of this investigation."
Protests and Community Response
By evening, a crowd gathered at the shooting scene, chanting "Arrest the cops!" and placing flowers and candles. Protesters later marched to the state Capitol, interrupting a summer concert by the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra that attracts about 30,000 people every week in the summer, demanding the officer's name and accountability. The scene captured a familiar divide in Madison, a city that is more diverse than the state overall but still 70% white: protesters, many of whom were Black, stood over white concert attendees sitting at tables near the stage that cost as much as $1,800 to rent for the night. The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra canceled its performance. Brandi Grayson, head of Urban Triage, said, "Another Black man is dead on a Madison street, and our community watched him die before we even knew his name. That is the cruelty of state violence." City Council President Sabrina Madison called for a "full, comprehensive, and transparent independent investigation," adding that the videos were "both disturbing and painful."
Pressure from protesters, and sympathy for their cause, has also led to the cancellation or disruption of many of Madison's signature summertime events. "Our community has spoken loud and clear: this is NOT business as usual," Black activist Clyde Mayberry posted on Facebook on Friday amid a string of cancellations. "Your decisions have helped ensure that this city continues to acknowledge the pain, the loss, and the call for accountability." Threats of a protest on Thursday led the city to postpone the grand opening of a new public market, just a few blocks away from where the shooting occurred. A popular neighborhood festival near the shooting called AtwoodFest, scheduled to begin on Saturday, was also canceled in the face of potential protests. "Our community and our Marquette neighbors witnessed another horrific officer-involved shooting just blocks from our festival grounds, leaving us in deep pain and justified anger," organizers of the festival wrote. "In acknowledgment of what has happened far too often in our community and our country as a whole, this year's AtwoodFest, themed 'The Heartbeat of the Neighborhood,' is canceled." And on Saturday, the popular downtown farmers market that attracts about 20,000 people each week around the Capitol building, shut down nearly four hours earlier than usual in solidarity with protesters. "We mourn with our community," market organizers posted on social media. "And we agree - business cannot proceed as usual." A handful of protesters showed up at the Capitol as vendors were breaking down their booths at around 10 a.m. "No one should be thinking this is just another Saturday," said Reba Bergmann, who sat with Lilly Nimmer holding a sign that said "Justice for Corey." "It's not life as normal," Nimmer said. "We should be more mad. We should stand up for what we believe in." Charles Alt, 30, supported the decision to close down early. "It's important to keep focus on the real tragedy, which is that someone got killed," said Alt, who was shopping at the market. "Missing some market time, that's sad, but that's not what's important." But Rodney Hathaway, who was visiting Madison from Milwaukee, was caught off guard by the market's early closure. "It's ridiculous," he said. "This is peoples' livelihoods. It's just unfortunate. We have such a short summer season for these people to sell their wares."
On Thursday, community members gathered at a growing memorial of candles, flowers and signs, with some staying overnight. Ben Weger, pastor of Stoughton United Methodist Church about 20 miles away, said, "I don't plan to leave anytime soon because it's important to hold this space." Sabrina Thompsen, of Madison, was crying at the memorial site, saying, "It's really unbearable. You can't describe it."
Witness David Ortiz-Whittingham, who saw the shooting, questioned whether deadly force was necessary: "I thought, 'Holy cow - what could have warranted that?' It looked to me like they had him under control. Even now, knowing about the knife, did he have to die for it? Could this have been deescalated without him losing his life?"
Protesters burst into a Thursday news conference about the police shooting, taking the microphone from the police chief and arguing with some attendees who said they wanted to hear more about the investigation. The group of roughly 20 protesters burst into the room at the Madison police station, shortly after the mayor and council president identified the man killed by police as Corey Ruiz. Police Chief John Patterson stepped away from the microphone when the protesters were shouting, and one man in the group took his spot at the podium. The event quickly devolved into a shouting match. One protester held a sign saying "Corrupt cops deserve to die too!!!" When a protester hurled an insult at Patterson, the chief calmly responded, 'I appreciate you being here.'
Moments earlier, the mayor said the shooting will be "rigorously investigated." "It does not matter who you are or what your past is, you should not lose your life as a result of an encounter with law enforcement," Satya Rhodes-Conway said. Madison, for her part, said "Corey could have been my brother because my brother is homeless and he often rides a bike." "He's a human being. He had a family. He has parents who loved him who brought him home, who cared for him," Madison said, adding that she's struggling to understand what she's seen in videos of the shooting. "My first thought is, when the officer's walking away, why isn't he walking away in cuffs," Madison said. "I'm angry, there's no way around it." Once the protesters quieted down, the chief resumed his presentation, promising his department's full cooperation with the state investigation.
Earlier Thursday, Madison's independent police monitor, Aeiramique Glass, said police have not yet shared evidence or the officer's identity with her office, which will review the case and can recommend to the district attorney that charges be filed if warranted. She said the department and city are "obstructing what the community and the public" want. "Let me do my job," she said. Patterson said the police were committed to cooperating with Glass as the independent monitor's investigation is carried out, at the same time as the state's probe.
The National Police Accountability Project (NPAP), a nonprofit dedicated to ending law enforcement overreach and abuse of power, condemned the death of Corey Ruiz and criticized a proposal to reduce the independence of Madison's civilian police oversight boards, calling the timing "completely inappropriate." According to the organization's press release, Ruiz was African American, and NPAP executive director Lauren Bonds said she fears that race contributed to the officers' decision to escalate the encounter. "They saw a Black man with a knife, and shot him." Bonds also noted that "police officers kill an average of three people every day in the U.S.," mostly people of color. NPAP called on the Madison Police Department to "expand alternative response models before resorting to deadly force." "No mother, spouse, or child should ever get the phone call that Corey Ruiz's family did yesterday," Bonds said. "Most importantly, a father is dead."
Local California Context
While the shooting occurred in Wisconsin, it resonates in California communities where officer-involved shootings have sparked similar demands for transparency and police reform. California's ongoing debates over use-of-force policies and body camera footage provide a parallel context for understanding the Madison incident.
Background
The shooting happened on the same street where a white officer killed Tony Robinson, a biracial man, in 2015, leading to large protests in Madison. This marks the third time since 2012 that Madison police have shot and killed someone in the same neighborhood. The neighborhood, considered the city's most liberal, has been the site of these tragedies. The district attorney at the time ruled the officer's use of force justified and declined to file charges. That history has fueled skepticism among activists and residents about the current investigation. In 2012, Paul Heenan, a white musician, was also fatally shot by police on the same street after he had been drinking and mistakenly entered his neighbor's house; that officer was exonerated as well. Robinson's family accepted a $3.35 million settlement from the city in 2017. The new case also recalls the 2020 police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Video of that encounter spread nationally and sparked demonstrations over police violence and racial injustice.
Chief Patterson acknowledged the neighborhood's history, stating that the shooting occurred in a "neighborhood that has experienced a lot of trauma in the past."
After Robinson's death, community advocacy led the Madison Common Council to establish two oversight entities: the Police Civilian Oversight Board (PCOB) and the Office of the Independent Police Monitor (OIM). According to NPAP, both boards are designed to independently monitor police operations and hold the police accountable. However, NPAP said the Madison Common Council is currently considering amendments that would reduce the boards' independence. "Madison residents and Mr. Ruiz's family deserve nothing short of an independent review by the PCOB," Bonds said, expressing frustration with what she described as the board's limited authority. "The community has been demanding police wear body cameras for years. The fact that this still hasn't happened — in 2026 — is a travesty." "Reducing the PCOB's independence would be completely inappropriate," Bonds added, noting that residents "are relying on bystander footage to show us what really happened."
Political Reactions
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers called for "transparency and accountability" in the investigation, posting online, "We will continue to keep the loved ones and family of the individual who was killed in our hearts and prayers. His life mattered." Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway posted, "There are questions that must be answered. It's understandable that people want answers now." She also said she was "angered and saddened" by the day's events and announced that details about a "community listening session" will be shared soon. The shooting also infused itself into the Democratic race for governor, with candidate Francesca Hong addressing mourners at the vigil site, saying, "I am horrified and devastated." State Rep. Francesca Hong, a Democrat who is running for governor, said the police officer had "shot and killed a Black man" blocks from her campaign office and near where a Madison police officer killed Tony Robinson. "This was an execution, and it never should have happened," she said in a statement. "Madison police must immediately preserve and release all body-camera, dash-camera and surveillance footage. Officials must answer the public about what officers knew, why they were unable to de-escalate the situation safely and why an officer used deadly force against a man who was surrounded and appeared to be restrained." "Yet another Black family has lost a son to police violence. How many more must suffer before we stop it? His life mattered. He deserves justice."
In a statement, Mayor Rhodes-Conway also said, "There is real pain in our city right now. It's an absolute tragedy when a member of our community is killed by anyone, but especially by the police."
Conclusion
The Madison police shooting has reignited debates over police accountability and racial justice. The Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation will conduct the inquiry, with the findings likely to influence trust in law enforcement and the ongoing national conversation on policing.