Bystander video shows Ruiz was tased and taken to the ground before he was shot multiple times; legal team says the case must be examined for excessive force
MADISON, Wis. (July 23, 2026) — Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has been retained by the family of Corey Ruiz, who was shot and killed by a Madison police officer Wednesday afternoon at a busy intersection on the city’s near-east side. Bystander video reviewed by the legal team appears to show that Ruiz was tased and taken to the ground before officers opened fire, and Attorney Crump says the case must be examined for excessive force.
The encounter happened in daylight in front of numerous witnesses, several of whom recorded it. In the bystander video, the family says, one officer holds Ruiz down while another appears to stomp on him, a third has a taser drawn, and a fourth draws his weapon and fires. Three shots can be heard, and the family says Ruiz was shot multiple times at close range, including in the face. Madison police officers do not wear body cameras.
According to Madison Police Chief John Patterson, officers responded to a report of a person checking parked vehicles. Police say Ruiz fled on a bicycle, a struggle followed when officers caught up with him, and Ruiz produced a fixed-blade knife that injured one officer, who then fired.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, is leading the investigation, as state law requires for officer-involved shootings. Attorney Crump and the family are calling on authorities to preserve and publicly release all footage of the encounter, including squad-car and bystander video, and to examine whether the use of deadly force was justified while Ruiz was on the ground.
Attorney Crump released the following statement:
“The video gives us a clear picture of what happened. Corey Ruiz was tased, taken to the ground, and then he was shot multiple times at close range, including in his face. This case has to be examined for excessive force. It happened in broad daylight, in front of dozens of witnesses. The family deserves the truth, and the public deserves accountability.”
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Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit bencrump.com.
