Blacks for Political and Social Action (BPSA) of Dane County has announced that it has officially filed a formal complaint with the City of Madison Police and Fire Commission (PFC) against the officer who fatally shot 38-year-old Corey Durell Ruiz on Wednesday at the intersection of Williamson Street and South Baldwin Street on Madison’s East Side.
“The public circulation of bystander video evidence reveals a horrifying misuse of lethal force. Mr. Ruiz was subjected to a Taser and pinned by multiple personnel before being shot multiple times at close range,” a statement from BPSA reads. “This community has endured historical, generational trauma from preventable police violence on these exact neighborhood blocks. BPSA maintains that the use of fatal force under these recorded conditions represents a total failure of de-escalation, public trust, and basic humanity.”
While parallel inquiries proceed through the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Office of the Independent Monitor, administrative accountability cannot wait, BPSA said, and criminal investigations assess statutory violations, but the Police and Fire Commission holds direct responsibility for officer discipline and employment suitability. BPSA’s filing calls on the PFC to act immediately to strip the involved officer of police powers.
“Corey Ruiz was a human being with a family and a community that loved him,” said Rev. David Hart for BPSA of Dane County. “True public safety cannot exist when officers act as judge, jury, and executioner in our streets. We demand full transparency, swift administrative termination, and absolute accountability through every available legal channel.”
BPSA is urging community members, local leaders, and allies to attend upcoming public accountability hearings and demand that the City of Madison overhaul its systemic approach to crisis response and police oversight.
