Corey Ruiz, a 38-year-old Black/African American man, died on July 22, 2026, after he was shot by a Madison Police Department officer during an attempted arrest at the intersection of South Baldwin and Williamson streets on Madison’s east side. The shooting occurred in broad daylight in the busy Marquette neighborhood, with numerous people nearby and several witnesses recording portions of the encounter on their phones.
His death quickly drew public attention, vigils and demonstrations while state investigators began examining the circumstances surrounding the use of deadly force.
The events began at approximately 1:00 p.m., when Madison police officers responded to a report that someone was checking parked vehicles and was allegedly involved in an attempted burglary. Officers located Ruiz and attempted to make contact with him, but he left the area on a bicycle. Police encountered him again a short time later near South Baldwin and Williamson streets. According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, a physical struggle developed between Ruiz and four responding officers.
Bystander recordings captured much of the final confrontation. An analysis of several verified recordings found that approximately 28 seconds elapsed between the moment Ruiz came off his bicycle and the fatal shooting. During the struggle, authorities say Ruiz displayed a fixed-blade knife and injured Officer Kiel Baitinger-Peterson. Two other officers attempted to use Tasers against Ruiz, but investigators said those efforts were unsuccessful. Baitinger-Peterson then fired his service weapon, striking Ruiz. At least three gunshots could be heard in recordings of the incident. Ruiz died at the scene. A knife was recovered during the investigation.
Baitinger-Peterson was later publicly identified by the Wisconsin Department of Justice as the officer who fired the fatal shots. At the time, he had approximately 10 years and 10 months of law-enforcement experience. Authorities said Baitinger-Peterson suffered a knife injury during the confrontation, while another responding officer was also injured. Both officers were treated at a hospital and later released. Baitinger-Peterson and the other three officers who interacted with Ruiz were subsequently placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting remained under investigation.
Madison Police Chief John Patterson characterized the matter as an open and active homicide investigation, but the Madison Police Department was not assigned to investigate its own officers. Under Wisconsin law, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation assumed responsibility for the investigation. DCI investigators were assisted by the Dane County Sheriff's Office, Wisconsin State Patrol, Sun Prairie Police Department and other personnel. Once completed, the state investigation is expected to be forwarded to the Dane County District Attorney, whose office is responsible for determining whether the evidence supports criminal charges.
The absence of police body-camera footage became an important issue following the shooting because most Madison officers were not equipped with body-worn cameras. Investigators instead had to rely on evidence that included witness accounts, recordings made by members of the public, police records, physical evidence and available squad-car footage. The videos recorded by witnesses became particularly significant because they provided independent visual documentation of portions of the encounter and raised questions among Ruiz's family, community members and outside observers about the amount and timing of force used.
Ruiz's family publicly disputed the suggestion that the shooting was justified. Joined by civil-rights attorney Ben Crump, relatives called for the officer responsible for the shooting to face criminal charges and demanded broader changes within the Madison Police Department, including the use of body cameras. Family members remembered Ruiz as someone who enjoyed making people laugh, making music and working in construction. His death was especially painful for his family because the shooting occurred only a short distance from where his daughter lived.
The shooting also prompted a separate investigation by Madison's Office of the Independent Police Monitor. Interim Independent Police Monitor Aeiramique Glass said her office began collecting eyewitness information shortly after the shooting. That inquiry is separate from the DCI criminal investigation and is intended in part to examine whether police actions complied with department policies and whether changes to policy or training are warranted. A dispute subsequently developed over the monitor's access to police evidence. After requests for records and evidence were denied, the monitor issued a subpoena and later went to Dane County Circuit Court seeking to compel production of materials including squad-car recordings.
Ruiz's death became the focus of sustained demonstrations in Madison. Mourners established a memorial at Baldwin and Williamson streets, and hundreds of people gathered for vigils and protests demanding answers. The site remained occupied for nearly two weeks before city officials cleared the encampment on August 4. The public controversy surrounding the shooting continued afterward, particularly regarding police accountability, body cameras, independent oversight and whether Baitinger-Peterson's use of deadly force was legally justified.
As of August 30, 2026, publicly available reporting does not indicate that Baitinger-Peterson or any of the other responding officers has been arrested or criminally charged in connection with Ruiz's death. Baitinger-Peterson has been identified as the officer who fired the fatal shots, but identification as the involved officer is not the same as being named a criminal suspect or being charged with an offense. The DCI investigation remains the process through which investigators are determining whether the shooting constituted a crime, and the Dane County District Attorney is expected to make the ultimate charging decision after reviewing the completed investigative findings. Ruiz's family and their attorney have publicly called for charges, but no trial or conviction related to the shooting has been reported.
