Overview
- A Madison police officer shot and killed 38-year-old Corey Ruiz on July 22, and a makeshift memorial at Williamson and South Baldwin has grown into a continuous encampment that has closed the intersection.
- Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway has issued repeated public appeals this week for a voluntary, respectful dispersal, announced tow notices for blocking vehicles, and said the city will preserve artwork and memorial items as it reopens the roadway.
- The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation is leading an independent probe of Ruiz’s death, the Madison Police Department is cooperating, four officers remain on administrative leave, and the Dane County district attorney will decide on any charges.
- City and county officials say outreach teams have offered temporary hotel placements and services to people at the site while nonprofit partners ready shelter capacity, but some occupants have declined assistance and the encampment has drawn people experiencing homelessness.
- The memorial site has seen safety incidents that prompted prosecutors to charge Joel Egbert with multiple crimes including felony battery with a hate-crime enhancer, and local leaders warn the blockade is harming residents, businesses and emergency access as the investigation continues.