Wisconsin IDs officer in fatal shooting of Black man on bike

Investigators on Monday released the name of the Madison, Wisconsin police officer who fatally shot a 38-year-old Black man on a bicycle in July, a killing captured on bystander video that sparked days of protests and renewed calls for police reform in the state’s capital city.

Kiel Baitinger-Peterson, a white officer with nearly 11 years of law enforcement experience, fired the shots that killed Corey Ruiz on July 22, the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation said in a statement, as AP News reported. Baitinger-Peterson was one of four officers who surrounded Ruiz, who was on a bike, in response to calls about someone checking parked cars and an alleged burglary attempt.

The shooting unfolded just after 1:30 p.m. at the intersection of South Baldwin and Williamson Streets in Madison’s Marquette neighborhood, less than 2 miles from the state Capitol. According to the state Justice Department, two officers attempted to use a Taser on Ruiz but were unsuccessful. Ruiz then “brandished a knife and injured” Baitinger-Peterson, who fired the fatal shots. Ruiz was shot three times in his head and other parts of his body, according to civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Ruiz’s family.

A community in mourning and protest

The shooting sparked immediate outrage. Hundreds of protesters marched to the state Capitol the evening of the shooting, disrupting a Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra outdoor concert that draws about 30,000 people weekly. The chaos prompted the cancellation or postponement of several signature Madison events, including the downtown farmers market, which closed nearly four hours early in solidarity with protesters, and AtwoodFest, a popular neighborhood festival, as AP News reported.

At a vigil the following night, Ruiz’s 13-year-old daughter, Kah’liyah Aliomar, spoke through tears. “My heart was broken and hurt so much knowing I can’t see my father anymore,” she said. “People are saying he’s a criminal. So what? He had a family, he had me.”

Ruiz’s mother, Elsa Ruiz, sobbed as she described her son. “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,” she said, as AP News reported.

Crump, the prominent civil rights attorney who has represented families in numerous high-profile police shooting cases, called for criminal charges against the officer. “They not only tackled him, not only tased him, not only kicked him, but you saw they shot him three times in his head and other parts of his body,” Crump said at an emotional news conference. “Anytime there is excessive use of force, there should be accountability.”

Conflicting accounts and unanswered questions

Police have said Ruiz pulled a knife and injured Baitinger-Peterson during the struggle, and that the officer’s use of deadly force was justified. The police chief, John Patterson, described the situation as “clearly dangerous.” But community members and officials who viewed the bystander videos have questioned whether the shooting was necessary.

“I thought, ‘Holy cow — what could have warranted that?’ It looked to me like they had him under control,” said David Ortiz-Whittingham, a witness. “Even now, knowing about the knife, did he have to die for it? Could this have been de-escalated?”

Madison Common Council President Sabrina Madison expressed anger at what she saw in the videos. “My first thought is, when the officer’s walking away, why isn’t he walking away in cuffs? I’m angry, there’s no way around it,” she said. “I didn’t see anything that warranted it.”

Aeiramique Glass, Madison’s interim independent police monitor, has launched her own investigation into the shooting. She told Wisconsin Public Radio that she is still awaiting basic evidence from the police department, including the names of officers involved and dashcam footage. “What we all seen was a man be shot in his head while he was laying on the floor after he was Tased, and after he was shot in the head three times,” Glass said. “We have a situation where, regardless of all of the details surrounding it, his death could have been prevented. We know there is a better way.”

Baitinger-Peterson and the three other officers who interacted with Ruiz have been placed on paid administrative leave. Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne will review the findings of the state investigation before deciding whether to file charges.

The body camera debate

A key point of contention has been the absence of body-worn camera footage. Madison is among the largest police departments in the Midwest that does not require its officers to wear body cameras, as AP News reported. The lack of such footage has left investigators and the public reliant on bystander cellphone videos.

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

The shooting has reignited a long-running debate over body cameras in Madison, where officials have repeatedly debated adopting the technology over the past decade. A new proposal to allocate $414,800 for a three-year rollout is expected to be approved by the Common Council, and Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway has said her next budget will include funding for the cameras.

Michael D. White, a criminal justice professor at Arizona State University who has trained departments on camera adoption for the U.S. Department of Justice, expressed surprise that Madison’s nearly 500 officers weren’t already using them. “There are very, very few agencies of that size that do not have a body-worn camera program,” White said. “Madison has a long-standing tradition of being an innovative, progressive police department, so it’s startling.”

A neighborhood with a painful history

This is the third time since 2012 that Madison police have shot and killed someone in the same neighborhood. In 2015, a white officer shot and killed Tony Robinson, a biracial 19-year-old, on the same street. The district attorney filed no charges, determining the officer was justified. In 2012, Paul Heenan, a 30-year-old white musician, was fatally shot after he had been drinking and mistakenly entered his neighbor’s house. That officer was also exonerated.

“It’s frightening that it’s Madison again,” said Hannah Thorn, a former neighbor who lived in the area for 12 years. “It makes me so sad for Madison.”

Police Chief Patterson acknowledged the neighborhood’s trauma. “Everyone in this room can feel the thinness of trust in this city right now,” he said at a news conference that was interrupted by protesters. “I want transparency. I want accountability.”

Political implications

The shooting has become a significant issue in Wisconsin’s governor’s race, with voting already underway in the Aug. 11 primary. Democratic candidates have called for accountability and transparency, while Republican candidates have urged caution and letting the investigation proceed.

Francesca Hong, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, called the shooting “state sanctioned violence” and an “execution.” Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said the reports are “painfully reminiscent of the tragedies we have witnessed in Kenosha, Minneapolis, and far too many communities,” as Wisconsin Public Radio reported.

Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany offered prayers for all involved but cautioned against rushing to judgment. “Too many politicians rush to the cameras before the facts are even known,” Tiffany said.

What’s next

The state Justice Department investigation is ongoing, with no timeline for its conclusion. The Dane County District Attorney will ultimately decide whether Baitinger-Peterson faces charges. Meanwhile, the independent police monitor’s investigation continues, and the city is expected to move forward with body camera funding.

For Ruiz’s family and the community that has rallied around them, the fight for accountability is just beginning. As Jazzman Brown, a community organizer who knew Ruiz for more than 20 years, said: “He didn’t deserve to be gunned down in front of the world, and he has people who love him. And he’s more than just a case number.”