Wisconsin protesters demand justice for man shot dead by police
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People marching in protest to the Wisconsin State Capitol in response to a Madison police officer shooting and killing a man who was reported to be carrying a knife on the city’s near east side, in Madison, Wisconsin, on July 22.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Hundreds protested in Madison, Wisconsin, demanding justice after police shot dead Corey Ruiz, a Black man, during a struggle involving a knife and a Taser.
- Protesters interrupted a police press conference, calling for officers' arrest, while vigils and memorials were held at the shooting site and the Capitol.
- The Wisconsin Department of Justice is conducting an independent homicide investigation into the incident, which has reignited concerns about racism and police use of force in the US.
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Hundreds of protesters gathered for a vigil in Madison, Wisconsin, on July 23, demanding that the police be held responsible one day after an officer shot dead a man in an incident that bystanders captured on video.
The shooting death of Corey Ruiz, whom local community advocates and Wisconsin media outlets identified as black, went viral on social media, reigniting some of the outrage that surfaced after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota and other killings that have raised questions of racism in police use of force in the US.
The police said Ruiz was armed with a knife that injured at least one of the four officers who wrestled him to the ground. During the struggle, an officer drew his handgun and fired what sounded like three shots at close range, according to the video.
Late on July 22, demonstrators gathered at the scene and at the Capitol, where an outdoor concert was cancelled because of the protests.
Demonstrators returned to the scene on July 23, placing flowers in the street. Organisers introduced relatives of Ruiz, including a daughter, to the crowd.
Earlier that day, several protesters interrupted a press conference by Madison police chief John Patterson, demanding that the officers be jailed. The protesters held signs such as “Corrupt cops deserve to die, too!”
Video from July 22 shows four uniformed officers grappling with the man amid shouts of “Let go” and “He’s got a knife”.
At some point, an officer used a Taser to try to subdue the man, but for unknown reasons, it was unsuccessful, Patterson said.
The police had stopped Ruiz in connection with reports of a person looking into parked cars. Another call at the same time about an unlawful entry into a home may have increased the police presence, Patterson said.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s division of criminal investigation is conducting an independent homicide investigation, he added. REUTERS
