Police in Madison, Wis., were dealing with a controversial shooting of a man armed with a knife who attacked an officer on Wednesday and shortly after was shot to death by the same officer.
Corey Ruiz, a homeless man, was trying to break into locked cars on the street in the Marquette neighborhood of Madison. When police arrived, Ruiz fled on a bicycle, only to be stopped by police a short time later. Ruiz had a "fixed-blade knife" that he attacked arresting officers with, injuring one of them. As three officers sought to subdue Ruiz, one officer fatally shot him with his drawn gun.
As usual, videos will be dissected frame by frame rather than examining the entire sequence of events to gain an understanding of exactly what happened.
This video shows the fatal shot.
Madison Officer Fatally Shoots Man After Reported Knife Attack During Struggle
— Police Incidents (@PoliceIncident) July 23, 2026
MADISON, Wis. — A man believed to be in his 30s died after he was shot by a Madison Police Department officer during a confrontation on July 22, 2026, near the intersection of Baldwin Street and… pic.twitter.com/6ukQIOheEM
Mr. Ruiz was a career criminal, a drug addict, and was known to resist arrest violently. In 2021, Ruiz pleaded guilty to a felony charge of resisting arrest after injuring a police officer. He also had multiple convictions for disorderly conduct, theft, and drug possession.
But, of course, he was an innocent murdered by the cops.
Ruiz was “very soft-spoken at first,” but “when you get to know him, he’s real open and talkative,” said childhood friend Tony Smith. Smith also described Ruiz as a father who “always made time for his kid.”
Rev. Ben Weger, a pastor at Stoughton United Methodist Church, supplied the proper level of outrage.
“As a pastor, a very important part of my job is to show up in spaces where oppressed people are being harmed, where marginalized voices are not being heard,” Weger said. “It’s a horrific privilege to stand with the family in this moment, and to call evil what it is, to demand justice, to demand answers.”
"Horrific privilege"? Sheesh.
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Yes, this incident should be thoroughly investigated, and all elements of the criminal actions of Ruiz, the police response, and the shooting need to be examined.
But this incident has already become a three-ring circus.
Chief of police John Patterson was holding a press conference when suddenly a demonstrator grabbed the microphone. "We don’t want any of that talk," the protester said.
"I'll step aside," Patterson meekly. I'm surprised he didn't offer him a cup of coffee.
Emotions boiled over during today’s Madison Police Department press conference as community members interrupted Police Chief John Patterson following the fatal police shooting of Corey Ruiz.
— Andrew Mercado (@AndrewMercado) July 23, 2026
The room reflected the grief, anger, and frustration many are feeling. One man took the… pic.twitter.com/F8uUmaL5O8
Amid the incoherence was a clear message: The mob is in control.
What truly worries me is that this is the same attitude that many big city cops had during the George Floyd riots. "I'll step aside" is exactly how Democratic administrations handled the protests that degenerated into violence. Trouble is coming to your town, Chief Patterson, and you're not ready for it.
The protester then delivered a lengthy denunciation of police, capitalism, imperialism and Zionism, accusing Patterson of participating in a system that he said had oppressed his family for generations.
While the disruption continued, another demonstrator held up a sign that read, "Corrupt cops deserve to die too!!!"
Once the protesters quieted down, the chief resumed his presentation, promising his department’s full cooperation with the state investigation, according to The Associated Press.
The family hired racialist gunslinger Ben Crump as an attorney. You may know Crump from his work in the Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Michael Brown, and Breonna Taylor cases. He is an expert at pressing all the racial buttons necessary to turn this incident into a riot waiting to happen.
For Crump and the other racialists who are looking to create a national stage for their performance, the death of Corey Ruiz is a godsend. It's summer, the news cycle is slow, and there's no hot domestic issue to subtract from the coverage that Crump and his racialist buddies will receive.
Madison is about to get the loving attention of those who always seek to profit off of controversial police actions.
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