Wisconsin shooting victim identified as protesters take over press conference demanding answers about police ‘execution’
Leaders in Madison, Wisconsin, have identified Corey Ruiz as the man killed yesterday in a fatal police shooting that has sparked waves of protests and anger in the community.
“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,” Madison mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said at a press conference on Thursday, which was later taken over for minutes on end by protesters criticizing the city and its police department.
City council president Sabrina Madison said she was pushing for “justice for Corey” and called on community members to demand police reform and a swift investigation by state officials who have taken over investigating the shooting as a potential homicide.
“If the protocol to go that quickly to shoot this gentleman in the head three times, and that is an option, I don’t know how that is an option,” she said. “My brain has not been able to put that together as an option. Because I didn’t see anything that warranted it.”
Critics argued video of the incident shared widely online showed that police “executed” Ruiz in the middle of a busy street in broad daylight.
Footage shows four cops on Wednesday working to subdue the suspect. The officers surround the man as he struggles to break free. While they have him by the arms and on the ground, one cop pulls out his gun and shoots the victim dead before reholstering his weapon and an officer puts the victim’s limp arms behind his body to handcuff him.
“This was an execution, and it never should have happened,” Fran Hong, a Democratic state representative running for governor, said of the shooting.
However, police stressed the incident remains under investigation and have begged the community not to jump to conclusions based on the video.
Here is everything we know about the case:
Bystanders shared disturbing footage of the moment officers wrestled Ruiz to the ground before one of them shot him at close range. The violence unfolded Wednesday afternoon at the busy intersection of Madison’s South Baldwin and Williamson Streets around 1:34 p.m., an area surrounded by homes, bars, restaurants and shops.
The graphic video showed Ruiz, who police said was armed with a knife, being pinned to the ground by four officers after a pursuit on foot.
A “physical struggle” ensued as Ruiz managed to briefly stand up while in the grip of the officers, before one of them yelled, “Taser, Taser Taser” and pointed the stun gun at him. The Taser failed to discharge, police said.
Officers wrestled Ruiz back down to the ground while one of them appeared to step on his leg to keep him on the floor. Less than a second later, one of the officers pulled out his gun, pointed it at the victim, and fired three shots.
Ruiz was slumped on the ground and did not appear to move again.
