Hundreds of people gathered for a candlelight vigil in Madison, Wisconsin, on Thursday, calling for officers to be held accountable just one day after a police shooting left a man dead — an incident caught on camera by witnesses.
The man killed was identified as Corey Ruiz. Community advocates and Wisconsin media outlets identified him as Black. Video of the shooting spread rapidly online, stirring up anger similar to what erupted following the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police — one of several high-profile cases that have fueled national debate over racism and the use of force by law enforcement.
According to police, Ruiz was carrying a knife that injured at least one of the four officers who attempted to restrain him on the ground. Footage from the scene appears to show an officer drawing a handgun and firing what sounded like three shots at close range during the struggle.
Wednesday night, demonstrators gathered both at the location of the shooting and at the state Capitol, where an outdoor concert was called off due to the protests.
Protesters returned to the site Thursday, leaving flowers in the street. Event organizers brought members of Ruiz’s family before the crowd, including one of his daughters.
Also on Thursday, a group of protesters disrupted a press conference held by Madison Police Chief John Patterson, demanding that the officers involved be put behind bars. Some demonstrators carried signs reading “Corrupt cops deserve to die, too!!!”
Patterson noted that an officer attempted to use a Taser to subdue Ruiz at some point during the confrontation, but it did not work for reasons that remain unclear.
Officers had initially stopped Ruiz after receiving reports of someone peering into parked vehicles. Patterson said a separate, simultaneous report of an unlawful entry into a nearby home may have contributed to the number of officers who responded to the scene.
The Division of Criminal Investigation, part of the Wisconsin Department of Justice, has launched an independent homicide investigation into the shooting, Patterson confirmed.
