Overnight unrest in Madison; garbage cans, dumpster set on fire
MADISON, Wis. - Overnight unrest prompted Madison police to respond to the intersection of Williamson and Baldwin Streets, according to WMTV.
The Madison Fire Department reported that protesters set fire to at least three garbage cans and a dumpster at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, WMTV reports.
Madison unrest on Tuesday night, Aug. 4, 2026.
As of Wednesday morning, FOX6 News crews on-site report a peaceful atmosphere where community members are laying flowers.
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway will be hosting a news conference at 11 a.m. Wednesday to provide an update.
Overnight unrest in Madison; series of fires set
Overnight unrest prompted Madison police to respond to the intersection of Williamson and Baldwin Streets.
Tuesday afternoon: Protests, arrests
Dig deeper:
Tensions rose between police and protesters Tuesday after city officials cleared an encampment at Baldwin and Williamson—the site where police fatally shot Corey Ruiz nearly two weeks ago.
The Madison Police Department said, by 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, officers arrested and booked 16 people. Most of those people were booked on charges of unlawful assembly and obstructing an officer. Ten other people were cited and released.
Madison encampment cleared, protests all day
Protests in Madison continued through the morning, afternoon and evening after the city cleared an encampment at the intersection of Baldwin and Williamson, where police shot and killed Corey Ruiz nearly two weeks earlier.
Police will release the number of afternoon and evening arrests on Wednesday. However, police did say a gun was recovered from a juvenile protester who was arrested for unrelated charges.
FOX6 saw two people taken to the ground and arrested at around 4 p.m. Officers used some sort of spray during those arrests. Demonstrators chanted and at points got into officers' faces.
Madison protests: Candidates in Wisconsin races for governor, attorney general weigh in
FOX6 News invited all candidates in the Wisconsin races for governor and attorney general to discuss the protests in Madison that developed after the city cleared an encampment at the intersection where police shot and killed Corey Ruiz. Democratic gubernatorial candidates Kelda Roys and David Crowley, along with Republican attorney general candidate Eric Toney, shared their perspectives.
WATCH: Madison encampment, protests
Timeline:
FOX6 News took major developments from the area of Baldwin and Williamson live throughout the day Tuesday. Watch the clips from continuing coverage below.
Madison police use pepper spray, 2 arrested after protest encampment cleared
City of Madison crews cleared out an encampment near Williamson and Baldwin streets on Tuesday, Aug. 4, which had been established to protest the fatal police shooting of Corey Ruiz. This video shows police using pepper spray on demonstrators, and two people were taken into custody.
Madison police protest encampment cleared, demonstrations continues
City of Madison crews cleared out an encampment near Williamson and Baldwin streets on Tuesday, Aug. 4, which had been established to protest the fatal police shooting of Corey Ruiz. This led to tensions between authorities and demonstrators, which led to additional arrests.
Demonstrators gather in Madison after crews remove encampment site
Demonstrators gathered in Madison on Tuesday after crews removed an encampment site near Williamson and Baldwin streets.
Shooting investigation
The backstory:
Madison Police Chief John Patterson said officers responded to calls about a man stealing bicycles and checking car doors and confronted him on July 22, but he rode away on a bicycle.
Police later encountered the man again, at Baldwin and Williamson, and the man "fell or was pulled off the bicycle." There was a struggle in the middle of the intersection, and police said the man pulled out a knife and injured an officer.
Madison protests: Encampment cleared, police make arrests
Madison police arrested several people and cited others after protests that followed removal of an encampment where police shot and killed Corey Ruiz.
Officers used a taser to try to take the man into custody before the injured officer shot the man, since identified as Corey Ruiz. Ruiz was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Madison police said the four officers involved were placed on administrative leave as the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation investigates the shooting as a homicide.
The Madison Police Department does not have body-worn cameras for officers. After prior efforts to fund bodycams were shut down, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway has said she will include funding for them in her next budget.
Madison police shooting: Department lacks bodycams, stirs debate
Wisconsin's largest police departments have body cameras except one – Madison. A new debate erupts over why the city doesn’t have them after last week’s fatal police shooting of Corey Ruiz.
The Source: FOX6 News was in Madison. Information in this story is from a FOX6 News interview, the Madison Police Department, city officials, the Wisconsin Department of Justice and WMTV-TV.