The family of a man who was shot and killed by Madison police, says he was ‘exceptional man’

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The mother of a man shot and killed by Madison police said Corey Ruiz was an exceptional man who loved his daughter and the rest of his family.

“He was my love. He loved his daughter, he loved his family. He did not deserve to be taken out like that. They took my baby from me,” his mother Elsa Ruiz said, breaking down in tears. She said she never imagined she would be burying her son.

The emotional news conference Thursday marked the first time the family has made a public statement since Ruiz, 38, was killed on a busy city street on Wednesday. Police say Ruiz pulled a knife during a struggle with four officers, injuring one of them. That officer then fired the shots, according to police.

All four officers have been placed on administrative leave pending a state investigation. A separate investigation by the city’s independent police monitor is also underway.

The family promised to seek justice for Ruiz’ death. They were accompanied by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who called the shooting an unjustified “execution.”

“Anytime there is excessive use of force, there should be accountability,” Crump said. He said it was “shocking on every level.”

The shooting was captured on cellphone video that was widely shared online, though Madison Police Chief John Patterson cautioned Thursday that the video did not show the altercation from the police officers’ perspective.

But unlike nearly every other similarly sized city, Madison doesn’t require its police to use body-worn cameras, so there is no footage from the officers’ perspective.

“Thank God there was video,” Crump said. “If there wasn’t video, imagine what the narrative would have been.”