A Wisconsin police officer shot and killed a Black man Wednesday by firing three rounds into his head. It’s an incident that witnesses and a candidate for governor describe as “an execution,” sparking protests and outrage in Madison.
Madison police have attempted to justify the shooting, claiming the man, identified as Corey Ruiz, stabbed the officer and injured him.
However, videos recorded by several witnesses do not show the officer bleeding or appearing injured.
‘He’s Got a Knife’
Police have not identified the officer, who was not wearing a body camera because the Madison Police Department says it cannot afford them.
The officer appears to have been wearing a bulletproof vest, which could have protected him from the alleged knife.
A screenshot taken after the shooting shows the officer standing next to another officer rather than being rushed to the hospital, which would typically occur if an officer had been stabbed.
Paramedics transported Ruiz to a hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.
Police also said a second officer suffered an injury but was not stabbed and did not explain how that injury occurred.
Videos recorded by witnesses show three male officers struggling to detain Ruiz in the street, each holding one of his arms while another officer yells, “He’s got a knife!”
A female officer runs up and shouts, “Taser! Taser! Taser!”
Less than five seconds later, one officer shoots Ruiz in the head at close range as additional officers arrive with sirens blaring.
After the shooting, officers appear to toss a knife near Ruiz’s body, although the videos do not clearly show whether he had been holding it. The female cop who was yelling taser can be seen holding her hand over her mouth in shock.
Watch the video below capturing the shooting from several angles.
Police Response
Madison police said officers responded to a report of a man stealing bicycles and checking vehicle doors.
According to police, the man rode away on a bicycle before officers confronted him on the street, where he either fell or officers pulled him off the bike.
“During the struggle, the man pulled out a fix-blade knife and injured an officer,” states the press release issued by Madison police. “Officers continued to try to get the man into custody, and a less lethal device, a taser, was used, but it was unsuccessful.”
“The officer injured by the knife is the one who fired his weapon.”
“A second officer was also injured, but it is not clear how that occurred. At this time, we do not think it was from the knife,” the press release continues.
The videos that have surfaced so far show an officer yelling that Ruiz had a knife, but none capture any officer stating that he had been stabbed.
‘We All Deserve to Feel Safe’
The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the shooting.
Court records describe Ruiz as a 38-year-old African-American and show a string of arrests dating back to 2014, mostly for misdemeanors.
“Corey Ruiz had fewer felonies than the sitting president,” stated an Instagram post. “Stop making excuses for executions on our streets.”
The shooting has sparked protests attended by hundreds of people of various races and ethnicities.
“We cannot protect a system that continues to bring harm and terror,” a woman said through a megaphone. “We all deserve to feel safe.”
‘This Was an Execution’
Democratic State Representative Francesca Hong, who is running for governor, described the shooting as an execution.
She also compared it to the 2015 Madison police killing of Tony Robinson, a 19-year-old Black man who was unarmed when an officer shot and killed him.
“I am horrified and devastated,” she wrote on the social media platform X.
“The bystander video is heartbreaking. It shows multiple officers surrounding and restraining the man on the ground while another officer fired at least three shots at close range. This was an execution, and it never should have happened.”
— Francesca Hong For Governor (@FrancescaHongWI) July 23, 2026
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway also condemned the shooting.
“It’s an absolute tragedy when a member of our community is killed by anyone, but especially by the police,” the mayor said in a press release.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, a Democrat running for governor, also compared the shooting to past police killings.
“While details are still emerging and a full accounting of what happened is still needed, these reports are painfully reminiscent of the tragedies we have witnessed in Kenosha, Minneapolis, and far too many communities across our country,” he said in a statement.
Need for Body Cameras
Democratic state Rep. Sheila Stubbs also referenced the Robinson shooting and emphasized the need for body cameras.
“This is a grave example of the need for body-worn cameras,” she said in a statement.
“If Madison Police Department had body cameras, we wouldn’t need to look to civilian footage for answers.”
The angriest comment came from a Black political candidate named Carlos Lemar Dixon, who is running for governor as an independent. He disrupted a press conference held by the police chief by snatching his microphone.
“We can shut this down; you can stop talking!” Dixon said. “You’re going to say the same thing you all say every time a Black body gets shot down in this city. This is a corrupt city.”
