07/24/2026
On Wednesday, July 22nd, 38 year old Corey Durell Ruiz was fatally shot by a Madison Police Department officer during a violent struggle on Williamson Street in Madison, Wisconsin. The incident has sparked intense local protests, accusations of excessive force, and a formal state led investigation into the use of deadly force.
Officers responded around 1:00 PM to reports of an individual allegedly checking parked car door handles and stealing bicycles. Police located Ruiz, who initially fled on a bicycle. Four officers confronted and grappled with him near Baldwin and Williamson streets at approximately 1:30 PM.
According to police accounts, Ruiz resisted arrest and produced a knife, wounding one of the officers. A female officer deployed a Taser, but the deployment failed to subdue him. The injured officer then fired his handgun three times at point blank range, killing Ruiz.
Videos captured by witnesses and circulated heavily on social media show the physical struggle, an officer stomping, and the subsequent close range gunshots. On July 23rd, a group of protesters burst into a city press conference, taking over the microphone from Police Chief John Patterson to condemn police brutality and demand the officers be jailed.
Demonstrators gathered on Williamson Street and at the State Capitol, forcing the cancellation of an outdoor concert. Ruiz was a homeless resident of Madison who had a daughter. Court records identify him as Black or Latino. While officials noted he had a lengthy prior record, city leaders emphasized his humanity and stated his past did not justify his death.
