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Family and Civil‑Rights Leaders Hold Funeral for Corey Ruiz as State Homicide Probe Continues

High-profile legal and political attention increases pressure on investigators as the Wisconsin DCI prepares a report for the Dane County district attorney.

Overview

  • On July 22, Madison officers confronted 38-year-old Corey Ruiz and Officer Kiel Baitinger-Peterson fired, killing Ruiz, with the DOJ saying Ruiz pulled a knife and injured an officer.
  • The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is conducting a homicide probe and four Madison officers remain on paid administrative leave while the DCI prepares a report for the Dane County district attorney to review for possible charges.
  • The funeral on Aug. 14 drew civil-rights figures Rev. Al Sharpton and attorney Ben Crump, and Crump said an independent autopsy of Ruiz will be released in the coming days.
  • The shooting renewed calls for body-worn cameras in Madison because the department does not use them and officials say the mayor will include funding in her executive budget after repeated prior council votes against cameras.
  • The death touched off weeks of protests and a makeshift encampment near Williamson and Baldwin streets that the city cleared on Aug. 4, and Ruiz’s family says he struggled with mental health, addiction and homelessness while calling for accountability.