Wisconsin protesters demand justice after police shooting death

Hundreds of protesters gathered for a vigil in Madison, Wisconsin, on Thursday, calling for police accountability a day after an officer fatally shot a man in an incident captured on video by bystanders.

The shooting death of Corey Ruiz, identified by local community advocates and Wisconsin media outlets as Black, spread widely on social media, reviving concerns over police use of force and racial justice issues in the United States. The incident drew comparisons to the 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota and other cases that sparked nationwide protests.

Police said Ruiz was armed with a knife that injured at least one of the four officers who attempted to restrain him. During the struggle, an officer drew a handgun and fired what appeared to be three shots at close range, according to video footage of the encounter.

Demonstrators gathered late Wednesday at the scene of the shooting and at the Wisconsin State Capitol, where an outdoor concert was canceled due to the protests.

On Thursday, protesters returned to the site, placing flowers in the street and honoring Ruiz. Organizers introduced members of Ruiz's family, including his daughter, to the crowd.

Earlier in the day, several protesters interrupted a news conference held by Madison Police Chief John Patterson, demanding that the officers involved be arrested. Some demonstrators carried signs criticizing police conduct.

Video from Wednesday showed four uniformed officers struggling with Ruiz as people nearby shouted, "Let go" and "He's got a knife."

Patterson said an officer attempted to use a Taser to subdue Ruiz, but the device was unsuccessful for an unknown reason. Police had stopped Ruiz after receiving reports of a person looking into parked vehicles. A separate call about a possible unlawful entry into a home may have contributed to the increased police response, Patterson said.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation is conducting an independent homicide investigation into the shooting, Patterson said.

-Reporting by Daniel Trotta in Vista, California; Editing by Donna Bryson and Christopher Cushing/Reuters