A police shooting in the deeply progressive city of Madison, Wisconsin, has ignited days of unrest after officers fatally shot a homeless career criminal with a lengthy record just blocks from his young daughters home.
According to Gateway Pundit, 38-year-old Corey Ruiz was killed on a busy street two blocks from where his daughter lives and along the route she reportedly walks to school, immediately triggering outrage from left-wing activists and local agitators. The Associated Press noted that the incident unfolded in broad daylight, providing multiple vantage points for bystanders who captured the confrontation on video.
Videos circulating online show several angles of the encounter, and ABC News has verified and synchronized three clips that together span just 28 seconds. In the footage, Ruiz, who is homeless, is seen falling from a bicycle at the intersection of South Baldwin and Williamson Streets in Madison before three officers rush in to restrain him on the ground.
A struggle then breaks out between Ruiz and four officers, during which, according to Madison Police Chief John Patterson, Ruiz pulled a knife and wounded one of the officers. The injured officer then allegedly fired the shots that killed Ruiz, while Patterson further disclosed that a second officer was also hurt during the altercation.
One of the videos, obtained by WISN, has fueled a narrative of police brutality among activists, despite Ruizs extensive criminal history and apparent resistance. Per Andy Ngo, Ruiz had 40 misdemeanor and felony convictions from 2009 to 2025, including battery and robbery, and he reportedly owes nearly $50,000 in unpaid child support.
In the days after the shooting, angry crowds flooded the streets and disrupted events, demanding justice for Ruiz and the prosecution of the officers involved. DSA member Francesca Hong, the Democratic frontrunner for Wisconsin governor, joined one of the protests, underscoring how quickly the left has rallied to elevate Ruiz as a political symbol.
By Friday night, demonstrations had escalated, with agitators confronting motorists and smashing car windows, turning a local police incident into a broader display of lawless intimidation. During a press conference that same day, the Ruiz family attorney, Ben Crump, accused Madison police of outright murder, declaring, They not only tackled him, not only tased him, not only kicked him, but you saw they shot him three times in his head and other parts of his body.
We saw an execution, and it shocked our conscience. Thank God there was video, Crump added, even as key facts about the knife, the injured officers, and Ruizs extensive criminal record complicate the narrative being pushed by activists. With the left demanding prosecutions before a full investigation is complete, the case is rapidly becoming another flashpoint in the national battle over law enforcement, public safety, and whether repeat offenders are treated as victims or held accountable for their actions.
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