Family of Corey Ruiz, man fatally shot by officer in Wisconsin, demands answers as state investigates
The family of the man shot and killed by Madison, Wisconsin, police during a confrontation spoke out Friday about their grief during an emotional news conference and called for justice.
Corey Ruiz's mother, daughter, partner and siblings joined attorney Ben Crump, expressing their sadness and frustration about his death.
Elsa Ruiz briefly spoke before breaking down in tears.
"He loved his daughter. He loved his family. He did not deserve to be taken out like that," she said, referring to death of her son, which was captured on video by bystanders.
Madison Police Chief John Patterson said officers were responding to a call Wednesday afternoon about a person allegedly checking parked vehicles when they confronted Ruiz and, police said, he fled on a bicycle.
Videos verified by ABC News show the moments after Ruiz fell from the bicycle at the intersection of S. Baldwin and Williamson Streets in Madison.
After Ruiz fell from his bicycle, Patterson said, a struggle ensued between Ruiz and four responding officers and Ruiz allegedly pulled out a knife, injuring one officer. That officer fired the shots that killed Ruiz, he said.
During the confrontation, one of the officers deployed a stun gun, according to Patterson.
All four officers have been placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation into the shooting by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), the chief said.
None of the officers were wearing body cameras, according to Patterson.
The probe into the incident is ongoing.
Crump contended there was no reason for the police to chase Ruiz in the first place.
"This was a suspicion of a property crime, there was no property crime," he said.
Crump added that Ruiz had prior arrests and a past with substance abuse and mental health, but argued that Ruiz's past did not justify the use of what he called excessive force by the officers.
"He was down, he was not going to get anywhere," he said. "We believe anytime you have excessive deadly use of force, there should be accountability."
Veronica Ruiz, Corey Ruiz's older sister, said the public should not judge her brother by his past.
"His criminal record tells a tale of trauma, of pain, of struggle. It does not define who my brother was," she said.
Marjorie Aliomar, the mother of Corey Ruiz's 13-year-old daughter Kah'Liyah, told reporters that she saw the video of the shooting before she was told that it was Ruiz. She noted that it took place close to their home and her daughter's school.
"I hate that she has to walk past this every day, and ... I hate that he will never see her graduate," Aliomar said.
Kah'Liyah told reporters that she found out about the shooting from a cousin and has been trying to process her dad's death.
"My heart was so broken, I don't know how to put it in words," she said.
Chief Patterson and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway both offered their condolences to Ruiz's family during a news conference Thursday and promised transparency as the investigation continues.
"I understand the very strong emotions that people are feeling. I'm feeling them too. As a city, as a community, as a society, we have to do better," the mayor said Thursday.
Several protests have taken place in the city since the shooting.
Crump and the family thanked the community for its support and encouraged people to continue to speak out against police brutality.
"I am here in Madison, Wisconsin, because we saw an execution, and it shocked our conscience. It shocked the conscience of people all over Madison, who saw the humanity in their friend, their brother Corey," Crump said.
ABC News' Chris Looft, Kerem Inal, Gaby Vinick and Malcolm Caminero contributed to this report.
