Madison Common Council’s refusal to equip police officers with proper body camera technology has left the city without proper footage after a fatal police interaction.
On July 22nd, Madison Police responded after receiving a report that a man was allegedly attempting to enter parked vehicles in the Marquette neighborhood of Madison. Police Chief John Patterson said the man, who was later identified as 38 year old Corey Ruiz, fled on a bicycle before officers attempted to arrest him.
Patterson said during the apprehension, Ruiz produced a “large fixed blade knife.” Patterson was adamant that it was not “small folding knife.” During the struggle, four officers attempted to pin down Ruiz, and one was injured by the knife in the process. Madison police also deployed a taser, but it was unsuccessful. (RELATED:David Crowley Linked to Crude ‘Dirt McGirk’ Twitter Account)
The officer who was injured by the knife, then fired his weapon and ended up fatally wounding Ruiz. All four officers were placed on administrative leave after the incident while the Wisconsin Department of Justice conducts an independent review.
Madison, despite its size, is one of the few cities in Wisconsin and across the U.S. that does not have a department-wide body camera requirement. The city even had a 90 day test trial in 2024, where officials conducted studies and operated with them. However, the Madison Common Council repeatedly failed to pass funding for the program.
In November 2025, the council rejected an amendment that would have begun phasing cameras into the department in 2026. The proposal would have redirected funding from the Office of the Independent Police Monitor and Police Civilian Oversight Board.
Democratic Socialist Gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong took to X, saying that Ruiz “deserves justice,” and that all body cam footage should be released immediately. Hong, who grew up in Madison, attended high school and college in Madison, lives and works as a legislator in Madison, and is requesting body cam footage in a city that has never had body cameras. (RELATED:Wisconsin Democrats Seek Ballot Rule Reversal After Primary Chaos)
In addition, she is calling for an investigation on “why [The officers involved] were unable to de-escalate the situation safely,” failing to mention that Ruiz had a long blade in his hand, and non-lethal deterrents were deployed. Hong later took to the streets and joined the protestors. She then grabbed a megaphone, and said “this state sanctioned violence was an execution.”
