Corey Ruiz Shot Dead by Madison Police: Family Demands Accountability
Family of Corey Ruiz, killed by a Madison officer Wednesday, held a press conference at the Wisconsin State Capitol, demanding justice and body cameras for officers.
Ruiz family joins attorney Ben Crump at Capitol to demand justice after Madison police shooting
The family of Corey Ruiz, shot and killed by a Madison police officer on the city's east side Wednesday, called for accountability at an emotional press conference Friday at the Wisconsin State Capitol, according to wpr.org. They were joined by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who previously represented the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Michael Brown in high-profile police killing cases.
"My family needs justice for what they did to him," said Ruiz's brother Adam. "He was a very important and loved man by his family and friends and many more in the community."
Crump and the family also called for the mandatory use of body cameras. Most Madison officers currently do not wear them, though the shooting was captured on video by multiple bystanders.
"We saw an execution, and it shocked our conscience," Crump said. "Thank God there was video."
Madison officials have not released the name of the officer who fired the fatal shot. That officer is on administrative leave, along with three others who were present at the scene. The Wisconsin Department of Justice has opened an investigation.
Ruiz's 13-year-old daughter, Kah'liyah Aliomar, also spoke at the press conference.
"My heart was so broken I don't even know how to put it in words," she said.
Aliomar questioned how she could ever call on police for help again after her father was killed by an officer. "I just wish … What if the police never been called? What if they let him go? What if they deescalated the situation?" she said.
Her mother noted that the shooting took place roughly two blocks from the family's home. "Every day, she has to walk past her dad's memorial where he was murdered by people we're supposed to trust," she said.
Community members have established a memorial at the intersection of Williamson and South Baldwin streets, with signs, candles, flowers and balloons. The intersection remains closed to traffic as protests and demonstrations continue across the city.
Several local events and businesses have announced cancellations or closures in response. Organizers of Atwood Fest, a neighborhood festival scheduled for this weekend, cancelled the event "in acknowledgment of what has happened far too often in our community and our country as a whole." The St. Vincent de Paul thrift store on Williamson Street, near the shooting site, is closed until further notice.
The Dane County Farmers' Market will still take place Saturday morning on Capitol Square, though organizers said the gathering "will look different." The market described it not as a celebration, but as "a space where everyone can find food grown in their community to sustain themselves and be together."
Source: Eyewitness News Bahamas