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Wisconsin protesters demand justice for man shot dead by police

July 24, 2026 2:16 pm

[Source: Reuters]

Hundreds of ​protesters gathered for a vigil in Madison, Wisconsin, on Thursday, demanding 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 United States.

Police said Ruiz was armed with a knife ​that injured at least one of the four officers who wrestled Ruiz 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 Wednesday demonstrators gathered at the scene and ​at the Capitol, where an outdoor concert was canceled because of the protests.
Demonstrators returned to the ‌scene ⁠on Thursday, placing flowers in the street. Organizers introduced relatives of Ruiz, including a daughter, to the crowd.

Earlier Thursday, several protesters interrupted a press conference by Madison Police Chief John Patterson, demanding that the officers be jailed.

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The protesters held signs such ​as “Corrupt cops deserve to ​die, too!!!”

Video from ⁠Wednesday 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.

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, Patterson ​said.