MADISON — The family of Corey Ruiz, the Madison man fatally shot by a Madison police officer Wednesday, held a press conference Friday alongside prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, calling the shooting an execution and demanding accountability, criminal charges, and sweeping legislative changes.
READ ALSO | Protesters take over Madison press conference on Corey Ruiz police shooting death
Ruiz was shot and killed July 22, 2026, following a confrontation with Madison police officers on the city's east side. Officers were responding to a call about a person stealing bicycles and checking vehicle doors. They located Ruiz, but he rode away on a bicycle and traveled through backyards. Police say Ruiz either fell or was pulled from the bicycle, and a struggle ensued. According to the Madison Police Department, Ruiz pulled out a fixed-blade knife and injured an officer. Officers attempted to use a Taser, which was unsuccessful. The officer injured by the knife fired his weapon. A second officer was also injured, though police say it is not clear how. Four officers were involved in or witnessed the shooting. Only one fired his weapon.
Ruiz was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Graphic civilian video of the incident has been released. The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is independently investigating the shooting.
Watch: Corey Ruiz's family and attorneys call Madison police shooting an 'execution,' demand justice
Crump, joined by attorneys Steve Hart, B'Ivory Lamarr, and Jay Casabier, said the family is prepared to pursue both civil and criminal justice.
"We have the honor of representing the family of Corey Ruiz," Crump said.
Crump described the shooting as an execution and said civilian video of the incident left no room for doubt.
"We saw an execution, and it shocked our conscience. It shocked the conscience of people all over Madison, who saw the humanity in their friend, their brother Corey," Crump said.
"People all over America are shocked when they see the execution of Corey Ruiz, because they understand when they see that video that it was so unnecessary to execute him, it was unnecessary, unjustified, and unconstitutional how they executed Corey Ruiz," Crump said.
Crump said police were pursuing Ruiz based on suspicion alone and questioned the department's own policies on high-speed chases.
"He was executed based on speculation. They said that was why they was chasing him. It is troubling that we understand the policy is you don't do high-speed chases of cars over property crime. Well, this was a suspicion of a property crime," Crump said.
"They had a high-speed chase of your brother on a bicycle over a suspicion of a property crime, and then, when they caused the collision with Corey, they not only tackled him, not only tased him, not only kicked him, but then you saw they shot him three times in his head and other parts of his body. That is an execution," Crump said.
Crump challenged the justification for the use of deadly force, pointing to the reactions of other officers on the scene.
"Both of his hands were restrained. How was he attacking anybody? He was on his knees," Crump said.
"They already had him detained. He was down. He wasn't going to get anywhere. You had him. Why did you have to do that to him?" Crump said.
Crump also pointed to the body language of other officers present as evidence the shooting was not justified.
"Did you all see his fellow police officers? The policewoman she held her forehead and shot. The person who was beside him touched his face and shot. That's body language. You don't have to say anything. They were shocked that he shot him three times," Crump said.
"I suspect when you really look at it, he put the officers in more danger than Corey Ruiz ever put them in that day," Crump said.
Crump drew a comparison to other incidents involving white suspects.
"80 miles from here, they said there was a young white man who was attacking the police, who was running, hitting, and they de-escalated, and they took him alive. But yet, you got four police officers out there, and they can't take him alive. They have to execute him," Crump said.
When asked what justice looks like for the family, Crump was direct.
"If this was your brother, if this was your father, if this was your son, what would justice look like to you? Well, that's exactly what we want. That same justice, equal justice, nothing more, nothing less," Crump said.
"Justice means accountability. It means the district attorney charging the police if they see that it was a crime committed on that video. That there is civil justice and there is criminal justice," Crump said.
Crump also called for legislative changes in Ruiz's name.
"We want legislative changes to make sure no other 13-year-old little girl has to come and articulate how her heart is broken because the police killed her father," Crump said.
"Let us meet with the legislators and press that issue because let's make sure we have some policies and some laws passed in Corey Ruiz's name. That would be one of the greatest justice I can do," Crump said.
Attorney B'Ivory Lamarr, a Wisconsin native, echoed Crump's call for accountability and pointed to Madison's lack of police body cameras as a critical failure.
"When we talk about accountability, that should be the expectation, not the exception," Lamarr said.
"When we all saw that video, did we see any de-escalation? No. Did we see anyone trying to calm the situation from a bicycle? No. This is not anybody that had a weapon that was threatening somebody, and it's legal to have a knife on this person. He didn't threaten anybody. He didn't make any advances toward the officers," Lamarr said.
"What this country saw was police brutality. There's no other words to put it. What we saw was excessive force that was completely unprovoked, unnecessary, and uncalled for," Lamarr said.
Lamarr said Madison's absence of police body cameras is unacceptable.
"Madison is one of the few cities that still does not have police body cameras. In 2026, solving a police shooting should not be a mystery," Lamarr said.
"We are in a state's capital. We have all the funds and resources for police body cams, and Madison is not an exception," Lamarr said.
Wisconsin State Rep. Sheila Stubbs (D-Madison), who represents the district where the shooting occurred, stood with the family and drew a direct line between Ruiz's death and the 2015 fatal shooting of Tony Robinson by a Madison police officer.
"In 2015, after Tony Robinson was shot and killed by a Madison police officer, I marched alongside with our community and advocated for the creation of a criminal justice work group, where community voices worked alongside with local elected officials, and we developed workable solutions to racial disparities in the criminal justice system across Dane County," Stubbs said.
Stubbs said she led the creation of 18 bills aimed at police accountability following the deaths of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake.
"Nine of those bills are now law, but work still has to be done with our communities, and we must continue to seek justice because justice is needed right now," Stubbs said.
Hundreds of protesters gathered at the scene Wednesday evening. Demonstrators filled the street holding signs and using megaphones. Police tape and a bicycle connected to the shooting were visible at the scene.
Ruiz's mother, Elsa Ruiz, spoke briefly but emotionally at the press conference.
"My son was an exceptional guy. He was my love. He loved his daughter. He loved his family. He did not deserve taken out like that," Elsa Ruiz said.
"They took my baby from me. I never thought I would have to bury my baby before you buried me," Elsa Ruiz said.
His sister Veronica Ruiz, who drove through the night from Austin, Texas, to be with her family, said her brother's past does not define him.
"His criminal record tells a tale of trauma, of pain, of struggles. It does not define who my brother was," Veronica Ruiz said.
"For him to be executed the way he was, based on speculation, I don't understand. I need somebody to help me understand why they felt it was okay to execute my brother," Veronica Ruiz said.
"Why is it the police's decision to decide that he gets to pay a alleged debt to society with his life?" Veronica Ruiz said.
His brother Adam Ruiz said the shooting has devastated the entire family.
"What happened to my brother involving the Madison police was sickening and inhuman, and should have never resulted in the tragic execution of my brother," Adam Ruiz said.
"He always loved music, and he always talked about making more music. He loved construction, mostly roofing, and he wanted to spend more time with his daughter. He always was a kind-hearted, respectful man that made people laugh," Adam Ruiz said.
"They didn't just take my brother. They took his son, a friend, an uncle, and if his daughter decides to have a family of her own, a grandpa as well. Nobody should lose their life in the hands of the police," Adam Ruiz said.
"I believe that system is corrupted, and us as the people, we need to stand up and come together to put a stop to this madness. They need body cameras to stop future incidents from happening," Adam Ruiz said.
Marjorie Ali Omar, the mother of Ruiz's 13-year-old daughter Kah'Liyah, described the impact of the shooting on her daughter and the family.
"That man was very talented. He was a lyricist. He was a poet. He was an artist. He was very kind, and he was extremely funny. I'm definitely gonna miss the jokes, the laughs, the reminiscence, and all these things that his daughter will never be able to see or know about him because they didn't get a chance to grow old together," Ali Omar said.
Ali Omar said the location of the shooting makes the loss even harder for Kah'Liyah to bear.
"This place is two blocks up the street from our home, two blocks away from her school. Every day she has to walk to school when she starts school, and she will have to walk past her dad's memorial, where he was murdered by people we're supposed to trust and depend on," Ali Omar said.
"Both of his hands were restrained. How was he attacking anybody? He was on his knees," Ali Omar said.
"He was not a violent person. He made mistakes, but he was never violent, no matter what anybody is saying. He was not a violent person," Ali Omar said.
Kah'Liyah Ali Omar, Ruiz's 13-year-old daughter, addressed the crowd directly, describing the moment she learned her father had been killed.
"My mom called me. She called me saying that she wished she told me something that was in when she was at the house, and I was so confused. I was like, 'What is she talking about?' And she said that my dad has been shot. My heart was so broken," Kah'Liyah said.
"People, whoever is saying, 'Oh, but he was a criminal.' So what? He had a family. He had me," Kah'Liyah said.
"The last time I talked to him, it was for a short period of time, and I wish it'd be longer. I wish I could see him one more time. I wish he could tell me how much he loves me one more time," Kah'Liyah said.
"Put yourself in my shoes. What would you do, knowing you just turned 13 last month, and that you're about to go into a whole new level of school, knowing that your dad is dead?" Kah'Liyah said.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
