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Corey Ruiz Mourners Call for Accountability at Funeral
Mourners and civil rights leaders pressed for answers and police reform after Ruiz was shot by a Madison officer, while his family said they still lack updates.
On Friday, August 14, 2026, family and civil rights leaders gathered at the Fountain of Life Covenant Church in Madison, Wisconsin, to remember 38-year-old Corey Ruiz, marking an emotional service marked by grief and demands for accountability.
Madison Police Officer Kiel Baitinger-Peterson fatally shot Ruiz on July 22 following a physical altercation near South Baldwin and Williamson streets, during which police claim Ruiz brandished a knife and injured the officer.
Demanding "justice for Corey," civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the Rev. Al Sharpton condemned the shooting as "unnecessary" and "unconstitutional," with Crump announcing an independent autopsy report coming soon.
For more than a decade, the Madison Police Department has requested body-worn cameras, spokesperson Stephanie Fryer said, while Sharpton questioned why officers remain unequipped during his eulogy.
Ruiz's mother, Elsa Ruiz, expressed frustration that city officials have not contacted the family directly, as the Department of Criminal Investigation continues to probe the shooting.