The fatal shooting of a Black man by a police officer in Madison, Wis., on Wednesday has prompted protests, vigils and a state investigation.
The killing occurred in the city’s Marquette neighborhood, where officers were responding to reports of a man stealing bicycles and looking into parked vehicles, officials said. The police approached the man, who pulled out a knife during an ensuing struggle, they said.
Officers tried to incapacitate the man with a Taser, but it was deployed unsuccessfully, according to the police. An officer who was injured by the knife fired at the man, who was taken to a hospital and died.
Here’s what we know.
What does the video show?
The killing happened on a busy street near the State Capitol. Multiple people captured cellphone footage, and videos of the shooting have circulated widely on social media.
They show a man surrounded by four officers. He falls to the ground during a struggle, and one officer deploys a Taser. As three officers try to hold the man, one fires his weapon, and multiple gunshots can be heard.
Chief John Patterson of the Madison Police Department said the footage on social media was only “one perspective” and added that “not all perspectives are online right now.”
Most Madison police officers do not wear body cameras, though some officials, including Chief Patterson, have been pushing for them.
Who was the man killed?
Madison’s mayor, Satya Rhodes-Conway, identified the victim as Corey Ruiz, 38. In a news release, Noah Lieberman, a city alderman, identified Mr. Ruiz as Black and called for more police oversight. Police records listed Mr. Ruiz’s race as African American.
Mr. Ruiz’s family members did not respond to requests for comment. Sabrina Madison, a city alderwoman, said she believed Mr. Ruiz was a father.
Public records showed a Madison address as his residence. He had a criminal record that included convictions for drug possession, theft and resisting or obstructing an officer, records showed.
Who is conducting an investigation?
The Wisconsin Justice Department is leading a homicide investigation into the shooting.
At a news conference on Thursday that was disrupted by protesters, Chief Patterson pledged he would cooperate fully with state investigators.
“We will not hide from any aspect of this investigation,” he said, adding that the police department would review its training and use of force policy.
After state officials finish investigating, they will share their findings with the district attorney’s office, which will decide whether to bring charges against the officer, Chief Patterson said.
The Madison police did not release the name of the officer who fired, but Chief Patterson said he hoped state investigators would release it soon. He added that all four officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.
The killing brought back painful memories in the community.
In 2015, in the same neighborhood where Mr. Ruiz was shot, a white police officer shot and killed Anthony Robinson, a 19-year-old Black man, and protests followed. The district attorney did not file charges, deeming that the officer’s actions had been justified.
And in 2012, Paul Heenan, a white man, was fatally shot by the police after he had mistakenly entered the wrong home. The same district attorney found that the use of deadly force had been justified, and the officer was not charged.
The death has come up in the race for governor.
Wisconsin Democrats will select their candidate for governor in less than three weeks, and the primary has been chaotic. An establishment front-runner recently left the race, and a state legislator who is a democratic socialist, Francesca Hong, is polling well, raising questions about how she would fare in the general election.
Wisconsin is a narrowly divided state where Republicans and Democrats have fought bitterly over elections. Republicans are expected to choose Representative Tom Tiffany, who grew up on a dairy farm and campaigns as the “common sense” candidate, as their nominee.
Ms. Hong, whose campaign office is a few blocks from the site of the killing, has referred to the shooting as an “execution,” while Mr. Tiffany has accused her of rushing to judgment. Both have called for an investigation.
Robert Chiarito, Pooja Salhotra and Julie Bosman contributed reporting. Georgia Gee contributed research.
