WNPJ member groups respond to the police killing of Corey Ruiz on Williamson Street, Madison – July 22, 2026
STATEMENT FROM URBAN TRIAGE CEO – BRANDI GRAYSON
We Mourn Corey Ruiz. We Demand Accountability.
Today, Madison police shot a Black man three times at close range while he was experiencing a mental health crisis. Video circulating throughout our community shows him lying dead in the street. Officers then handcuffed him and piled onto his body.
We do not yet know his name. Sit with that.
Another Black man is dead on a Madison street, and our community watched him die before we even knew his name. That is the cruelty of state violence. It takes a person’s life, strips away his humanity, and turns his final moments into a video before his family has the dignity of grieving him as a whole human being.
To his family, to everyone who loved him, and to everyone who knew him before today, his life has been reduced to a hashtag: we see you. We grieve with you. We will not look away, and we will not allow his killing to become background noise.
This happened on Williamson Street, the same street where Madison police killed Tony Robinson, an unarmed 19-year-old Black teenager, in 2015.
Eleven years later. Same street. Same white supremacist system. Another Black person in crisis met with bullets instead of care.
And this happened only seven months after Madison’s own Independent Police Monitor found that Richard Lee Johnson, a 32-year-old Black man, died from restraint-related cardiac arrest after officers pinned him to the ground, ignored his cries that he could not breathe, and failed to get him medical care.
The medical examiner called Richard’s death an overdose. An independent forensic pathologist called it what it was: officers killed him.
Still, no charges. Still, officers cleared. Still, a police chief is more committed to defending his department than confronting the Black bodies left behind by it.
These are not isolated incidents. This is not a training problem, a communication problem, or a handful of bad decisions. This is white supremacy operating exactly as it was designed to operate.
It is a system that sees Black pain as a threat. Black mental illness as danger. Black addiction as criminality. Black poverty as failure. Black fear as aggression. It meets our most vulnerable moments with force instead of care, then writes its own reports, investigates itself, clears itself, and demands that we accept its version of how our people died.
And when one office begins challenging that machinery, the system turns on the office.
The Office of the Independent Police Monitor, one of the only mechanisms our community has to challenge police power, has spent this year being second-guessed, undermined, and targeted by the same institutions it was created to hold accountable. That is not a coincidence. That is what white supremacy does when accountability begins to work. It attacks the accountability.
We owe our community honesty: we do not have a perfectly organized call to action today. Normally, we would. Today, we are angry. We are heartbroken. And we are exhausted.
We are grieving a man whose name we do not know, on top of Richard Lee Johnson, on top of Tony Robinson, on top of every Black person this city has buried, blamed, criminalized, and explained away.
If you are exhausted, too, that is not a weakness. That exhaustion is part of the violence. These systems are counting on us becoming so tired of watching Black people die that we eventually stop watching, stop demanding answers, and stop fighting.
We refuse.
Urban Triage will process this with our team and community in the coming days. Today, we are a direct-service organization providing housing, agriculture, outreach, and education. But we were born from organizing against state violence and police brutality. Our work has grown, but our roots have not changed. This is still who we are.
We will show up. We do not yet know every form that showing up will take, and we will not manufacture an answer for the sake of appearing prepared. But we will be there.
Freedom Inc., our sister organization and fellow Black-led institution, is calling our community to gather at Williamson and Baldwin streets, where this man was killed. Urban Triage stands fully behind that call. Follow Freedom Inc. directly for the time and details. Show up.
We demand:
- The immediate public release of all dash-camera footage from today’s shooting
- An independent investigation by the Office of the Independent Police Monitor, not an internal MPD review
- Full transparency regarding this man’s identity, the circumstances of his mental health crisis, and the complete use-of-force timeline
- Protection of the Independent Police Monitor’s office and contract from political interference by agencies seeking to weaken police oversight
- The reopening of Richard Lee Johnson’s case for criminal review, consistent with the Independent Monitor’s findings
Rest in power to the man whose name we do not yet know. You deserved care. You deserved humanity. You deserved to live.
Brandi Grayson, Founder and CEO Urban Triage urbantriage@gmail.com
***************************************************************
Madison DSA
On Wednesday, July 22, four Madison Police Department officers surrounded and executed Corey Ruiz on the corner of Williamson and South Baldwin streets, mere blocks away from where Tony Robinson was murdered by Matt Kenny in 2015. We condemn in no uncertain terms the murder of Corey Ruiz by the Madison Police Department. Regardless of the events leading up to the murder, there is no situation where this is justified. For days our members have participated in demonstrations, protests, and vigils in solidarity with our community.
This is not the first time Madison Police officers have taken a neighbor’s life; the police continue to use excessive force and perpetuate racism and classism with absolute impunity. In March 2015, Madison Police officer Matt Kenny shot and killed 19-year-old Tony Robinson. Despite widespread protests and calls for accountability, Matt Kenny has faced no charges and is still employed by the Madison Police Department more than ten years later.He even trains new officers.EvenTony Robinson was not the first victim of police murder in this neighborhood—in 2012, Paul Heenan was murdered by police on South Baldwin Street, and in 2006, Victor Montero-Diaz was murdered by police at the gas station on Williamson Street.
We stand behind the community’s demands for:
- The immediate arrest of Kiel Baitinger-Peterson and all those accessory to the murder we witnessed on Wednesday afternoon
- That all information found in the investigation conducted by the Department of Criminal Investigation be turned over to the Office of the Independent Police Monitor and Civilian Oversight Board
- Community control over the police.
We demand accountability for Corey’s murder, and for the systems that have led to this point— systems that value property over human life. We demand full transparency, including the immediate release of the names of every officer involved and all available squad car camera and surveillance footage.
These common-sense demands only address this most recent harm done to the community and ensure accountability follows. If we truly want to stop further violence, we must not treat this as an isolated instance but rather a part of a larger structure that perpetuates violence. Instead, we must focus on the kinds of reforms that will prevent future police violence against our communities.
We must demilitarize police departments, redirect funding to public services, and strengthen the Office of the Independent Police Monitor and Civilian Oversight Board to have real community authority over the police. These changes, among others, are steps that will bring us closer to changing the violent carceral system that destroys communities and takes lives. We need to recognize that any reform that does not decrease the power of the modern punishment bureaucracy is no reform at all.
Time and again we’ve seen politicians break promises, make compromises that lead to half measures, and roll back reforms. We’ve seen momentum toward progress stall as soon as the news cycle moves on. Non-profits are limited by their mandate, structure, and fundraising, and advocate but do not deliver. To win our demands, members of the community must get organized and work together.
Support and attend the vigil, connect with your community, and be ready to take concrete action in the coming days and weeks to ensure true accountability and justice for Corey Ruiz.
********************************
Echo Valley Hope
Board’s response to the killing of Corey Ruiz by Madison police on July 22.
Echo Valley Hope will continue to support efforts to eradicate racism and violence in the systems that were created for our protection.
The execution of Corey Ruiz, a Black man, by Madison police and witnessed by bystanders demands our united voices for change.
- We support voices demanding the abolishment of deadly force.
- We demand an independent investigation into this murder.
- We will continue to work to restore human dignity.
Racism and violence must be abolished from our systems. No more excuses
**********************************
WISDOM Wisconsin
In strong support, we are sharing the statement released by MOSES, WISDOM’s Affiliate in Madison, WI, regarding the killing in their city of Corey Ruiz on July 22.
MOSES grieves the killing of Corey Ruiz by a Madison police officer, who shot and killed him on July 22 in broad daylight on Williamson Street in Madison. We lift up our prayers and support for the family, friends and neighbors of Mr. Ruiz and for the impact on the community, which once again is suffering the traumatic killing of a Black man at the hands of police.
We call on the Madison Police Department to fully investigate and disclose the circumstances of this tragic loss of life. We call for full adherence to use of lethal force policies, de-escalation training, enforcement of the practices called for by these policies and training, and evaluation of reforms needed to protect all members of our community from unnecessary violence and use of lethal force by MPD. And we call for full police transparency and accountability for the death.
We commit to continue our efforts to understand, support, and advocate for systemic improvements in local, statewide, and national policies to reduce the use of lethal force. MOSES will continue to focus our advocacy work on the local and State of Wisconsin standard operating procedures and the realities of training and adherence to policy by local law enforcement.
We call on MPD to abide by policies pertaining to use of force and de-escalation practices and to hold officers accountable, especially when it involves killing members of our society. Further, we fully support the Office of the Independent Police Monitor in their investigation of this killing and urge the police chief to cooperate fully with their investigation. We also call on the Madison Common Council to fully support the OIPM independence and funding as currently provided by Madison Ordinance. This tragedy underscores the need for an independent police monitor and civilian oversight board.
May Corey Ruiz rest in peace and may justice prevail in the aftermath of his tragic loss of life. In solidarity, Saundra Brown, MOSES President
************************************
EXPO, part of WISDOM
A person’s criminal history does not determine whether they deserve to live.
Sharing screenshots from CCAP after someone has died does not justify their death. It does not answer the questions our community is asking. It does not replace accountability.
It has been reported that Corey had a knife. The Madison Police Department trains officers in de-escalation, and those policies are publicly available. With all due respect, the video that has been released does not appear to show visible efforts to initiate de-escalation before deadly force was used. That is why a thorough, transparent review matters.
At EXPO, we understand that people make poor decisions. We know that reality because we have lived it. We also know that our mistakes did not erase our humanity. We answered for our actions, and we believe everyone; including public officials acting under the authority of the state must be held to the same standard of accountability.
This is not about excusing anyone’s actions. It is about affirming a simple principle: every human life has value, and every use of deadly force deserves careful examination.
We can care about public safety while also expecting transparency, accountability, and fidelity to the de-escalation principles our community has been promised.
Those ideas are not in conflict. They are the foundation of trust.
********************************************
WAVE statement:
Two days ago, I was saddened to hear that a man named Corey Ruiz had been shot and killed by a police officer in Madison. Like many of you, this tragedy brought back memories of other lives lost to police violence—moments that continue to shape our communities and our country.
Violence perpetrated by police happens far too often, and, sadly, we know that not all communities are policed the same. A Black person is far more likely to be shot by police than a white person. This is just one of myriad inequities we must still address within our justice system.
When someone is shot, the ripples of hurt and trauma go far beyond that person, far beyond their friends and family. Each of these tragedies rocked entire communities, in some cases our entire country.
Corey was shot at a busy intersection. Multiple recordings have been shown repeatedly on the news, and are circulating on social media. Some of you have likely seen the video. Some of you likely wish you hadn’t. We know an event like this reopens other traumas; some individual and some generational.
As Anthony Cooper, President and CEO of Focused Interruption, stated in the wake of this tragedy: “Corey Ruiz was somebody’s son, and he mattered. We grieve with his family. Be gentle with yourselves, check on your people, and let no one carry this alone. We’re calling for a full, independent investigation. Accountability requires trust, and trust requires the truth.”
As we each struggle to process our anger and grief, and as we work to respond with empathy and love, our friends at NAMI Dane County have shared a list of mental health resources that we wanted to amplify:
- Dane County 24/7 Crisis Line — (608) 280-2600
- Solstice House Peer-Run Warmline — (608) 244-5077
- NAMI National Helpline — 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988, or chat at www.988lifeline.org
I am grateful to NAMI for sharing these resources, and to our many partners working to create safer communities throughout Wisconsin. I am grateful for the calls for justice I have heard over the past two days, and I am grateful for you. It is your resolve and care for all people that allows us to carry forward in moments like this.
Working towards ending police violence is a critical part of WAVE’s work to prevent gun violence. Now, as always, WAVE stands on the side of nonviolence. In solidarity,
Nick Matuszewski admin@waveedfund.org Executive Director of WAVE
**************************************************************
WNPJ
The Board of the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice’s statement on the police killing of Corey Ruiz and all police and ICE killings throughout our state and nation.
We must restore humanity.
It cannot be done if we continue to accept and ignore the blatant racism and disregard of human life as displayed by the execution of Corey Ruiz by Madison police on July 22.
We have allowed too much violence in our police forces and now in the militia called ICE.
We stand with all people of conscience who demand change and transformation immediately. We no longer accept the lies and excuses for the use of lethal force.
We call for accountability and a transparent and independent investigation into the murder of this man and others who are senselessly killed.
We acknowledge the broken criminal-legal system which has targeted Black and Brown people and we demand our elected officials address and end the corruption in our systems. Info@wnpj.org
*********************************************
First Unitarian – Madison
“We light a candle of sorrow and anger for the death of Corey Ruiz this past week here in Madison. We mourn the continued use of violence in our community and send our love to all who are grieving and raging and questioning why we are here once again, and why this violence continues to prevail in our city.
May all who love Corey be surrounded by care and love and may all who are concerned for their safety, our Black, brown, immigrant, and transgender neighbors, feel secure and loved. May we all learn to be a little more tender with each other. May we learn to care for our community, and may we all come to know both
justice and peace.” -Rev. Kelly Crocker
******************************************
WI Democracy Campaign shared ACLU statement
Our hearts go out to the family of Corey Ruiz, and we echo calls for a full, independent investigation into exactly what led to this tragedy — and what led an officer to shoot multiple times at a man that video shows was already on the ground and surrounded by police. The family deserves to know exactly what happened. The community deserves to know exactly what happened.
*****************************************
FAIR WI
Last week, Corey Ruiz, a Madison community member and Black man, was shot and killed by a Madison police officer.
Black liberation and LGBTQ+ liberation are – and have always been – bound together.
When Tony Robinson was murdered by police in 2015 less than two blocks from where Corey Ruiz’s vigil stands today, I watched his brother, who had been my student a few short years before, give his eulogy at a funeral full of former, current, and future students.
Then, I was a teacher leading a classroom. Today, I’m leading an organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ equality and liberation. Always, we need each other and must work in solidarity for our collective liberation.
As we do, we recognize the leadership of Freedom Inc. as a Madison-based Black and Southeast Asian-led nonprofit who have been fighting for queer and gender justice for decades. Stay informed of their work through their social media, and donate to support their community care work. Abigail Swetz
********************************************************
Interfaith Peace Working Group
Jerry Folk, president of on the need for community dialogue….
Madison is mourning the death of Cory Ruiz, a young African American man who was fatally shot by a city policeman on Tuesday, July 22. This shooting has provoked large and ongoing protests, vigils, conversations, and prayers. The corner of Baldwin and Williamson streets, where the shooting occurred, has become something of a shrine where a diverse group of people gather to remember Cory, support his family and friends in their loss, and to call the community to responsibility.
Cory’s shooting exposes two deep and serious problems in our society and nation. The first is violence. In his 1967 speech Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called the United States “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.” The Vietnam War is long over but events like the shooting of Cory Ruiz and the forever wars our country has been involved in since World War II reveal that Rev. King’s statement is as true today as it was when he made it 59 years ago.
The second problem the shooting of Cory Ruiz exposes is the rampant racism in US society. It is not an accident that a disproportionate number of black people, especially young black men, have been murdered by our violent criminal “justice” system. It is the result of widespread prejudice and stereotyping of people of color, particularly black people.
The health of our society and nation requires us to confront and exorcise these twin demons of violence and racism that lead to tragedies like the shooting of Cory Ruiz. We can only do this together through thoughtful, honest, informed, substantive and respectful dialogue aimed at a final dismantling of racism and finding alternatives to violence as a means of dealing with conflict. Such dialogue is not easy. It requires people who see things somewhat differently to listen to one another. Listening to those who see things differently than we do is difficult, sometimes even painful. But it’s necessary, because together we see things that none of us can see alone, including possibilities.
Public statements of various groups and individuals with responsibilities in overseeing and administering the criminal justice system or deeply concerned about it suggest that there is widespread interest in such a dialogue. The Interfaith Peace Working Group endorses that dialogue and urges communities of faith and conscience to take the lead in initiating it.
************************************************************
35-year WNPJ member Lance Green shared this:
Wow, the best, most thoughtful comments I’ve seen on this sad, horrible event in our community. These are the kind of words that can help start us healing and caring again, not just knee-jerk reacting.
Thanks sooo much, Amy Sherman!
…………..
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “An eye for an eye leaves everybody blind.”
The problem is… We’re living in a time where the blind are leading the blind.What happened in Madison, Wisconsin on July 22, 2026 sickens me.
Not because it was a Black man.Because a man is dead.A father. A son. A cousin. An uncle.
And before his body was even cold, we did what we’ve trained ourselves to do. We picked teams. One side screamed, “The officer was justified.” The other screamed, “Murder.”
Then everybody rushed to Facebook to debate each other instead of debating why another human being ended up dead in the middle of an American street.
I watched the video. I read the statements. And I came away believing something most people don’t want to admit: Two things can be true at the same time.
If Corey Ruiz was armed with a knife and attacking officers, that should be acknowledged. If Officer Kiel Batinger was injured during the encounter, that should be acknowledged.
But what I also saw was three officers bringing Mr. Ruiz to his knees. I saw him being tased. And in my opinion, I saw a decision made in a matter of seconds that ended a man’s life when there appeared to be other officers actively controlling the situation.
That’s not me excusing Corey. That’s me questioning whether death was the only answer.
Those are two different conversations. Here’s what really bothers me.
Every time something like this happens, we make it about race before we make it about responsibility. Black versus White. Blue versus the community. Left versus Right.
Meanwhile, another family is planning a funeral. That’s insanity.
When you put on a badge, you accept a responsibility that most people will never carry. You don’t get to make life-and-death decisions based on anger, frustration, fear, or revenge. The standard has to be higher because the consequences are permanent.
One emotional decision can destroy a family. One emotional decision can damage the reputation of thousands of officers who put that same uniform on every day and never pull the trigger. That’s why accountability matters. Not because we hate police. Because we expect more from them. I’m not saying Corey Ruiz was innocent.
I’m saying I don’t believe everything that deserves an arrest deserves a death sentence.If you can’t separate those two ideas, you’re proving Dr. King’s point. You’re choosing a side instead of choosing justice. An injustice against one person should concern every person.
Not because of race. Because tomorrow, it could be someone who looks like you. Or someone wearing the same uniform as you. Stop arguing long enough to ask the only question that really matters: How do we make sure this doesn’t happen again?
Until we’re willing to answer that, we’ll keep doing what America has become so good at Arguing over the dead instead of Protecting the living. #MadisonUnite #justiceforcoreyruiz #unity
************************************************
Badger Collective…
We stand in solidarity and compassion with our Madison community as we confront the reality of another life lost at the hands of law enforcement.
Below you can find the link to donate to Corey’s family.
Also forwarded from Badger Collective: Justice for Tony Robinson – Justice for Corey Ruiz
Mothers, especially those of Black and Brown children, do not deserve to be living in constant fear of their children being harmed or killed by the state.
Rooted in a Black tradition of altar and community building. Freedom, Inc. is inviting Black and Brown mothers to process, mourn, and heal together.
Join us on the Corner of Willy and Baldwin in Madison. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH: Urban Triage, Black & Brown Womyn Power Coalition, Inc. and Unidos WI
***********************************************************
Madison Raging Grannies sang in solidarity and posted photos of Baldwin at Willy St.
***********************************
WNPJ welcomes statements by other member groups. Send to info@wnpj.org