Madison police shooting a homicide investigation, chief says

MADISON, Wis. - The Madison police chief on Thursday said the officer-involved shooting that killed a man, who the department said was armed with a knife, is being investigated as a homicide.

Shooting investigation

What they're saying:

The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is "fully in charge" of the investigation, Chief John Patterson said Thursday. He said the Madison Police Department will fully cooperate with the investigation.

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Public officials and others have now identified Corey Ruiz as the man who was killed.

"This officer-involved shooting must be rigorously investigated, and it will be. The process has already started with the Department of Criminal Investigation, but that's just the first step," said Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. "The DA will play a role, as will the Independent Monitor and the Police Civilian Oversight Board. Our community deserves full transparency and accountability."

"Yesterday, a young man, a young member of our community, died after an encounter with one of our officers. He was in his 30s," Police Chief John Patterson said. "I know he had a family who cared for him. I know he had a community who cared for him. His family is grieving today. And our entire community, I believe, is grieving alongside them."

Protesters interrupted the police chief's remarks just as he started to address the room Thursday. Eventually, the apparent leader of the protest group took the microphone. Protesters and other people in the room exchanged comments back and forth, at times using profanity, before things died down and city officials got back to answering questions.

Police release incident report | July 22, 2026

The backstory:

Police said officers were initially called for reports that someone was stealing bicycles and checking vehicle doors in Madison's Marquette neighborhood on July 22. They found the man, but he rode away on a bicycle.

Officers spotted the man again in the area of Baldwin and Williamson, a little more than a mile northeast of the Capitol, at around 1:35 p.m. Police said the man "fell or was pulled off the bicycle, this is still being determined." There was then a struggle in the middle of the inspection between the man and officers.

During the struggle, police said the man pulled out a knife and injured an officer. Officers tried using a taser to take the man into custody, but they were unsuccessful. The injured officer then shot the man.

The Madison Police Department said officers provided life-saving attempts at the scene, and the man was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Including the officer who shot the man, four officers were involved in or witnessed the shooting. All four will be placed on administrative leave. The department described the officer who fired his weapon as a "veteran officer."

Madison Police Department officers do not have body-worn cameras, according to WMTV-TV.

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The Madison Police Department said a second officer was also injured, but it's not clear how. At this time, it is not believed to be a knife wound. 

The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is now investigating the officer-involved shooting, the police department said. That investigation remains active.

Protests erupted across Madison Wednesday after police shot and killed a man. Police say that man had a knife and injured another officer.

Wednesday protests in Madison

Dig deeper:

The story has drawn national attention after video of the confrontation circulated across social media. 

"I will say that I'm aware of cellphone video that has been shared and circulated online depicting this incident. I ask the community recognize that there is other video that has not been seen," Patterson said Wednesday. "That is not circulating online that will be reviewed as a part of this investigation. So to the extent that they can as we all navigate this trauma together, that we try to remain calm."

Protests formed across Madison after the shooting on Wednesday. Large crowds gathered at the Wisconsin Capitol, where a concert event was taking place, and reached as far away as Green Bay.

Later Wednesday night, a vigil took place near the shooting scene. It was also the location where Madison police shot and killed Tony Robinson, in 2015. That shooting also prompted a large community response, and no charges were filed in his death.

Editor's note: This story was updated to include new information.

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