The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) identified Madison police officer Kiel Baitinger-Peterson on Monday as the individual who shot and killed 38-year-old Corey Ruiz in July. The Division of Criminal Investigation, a unit within the state DOJ, confirmed that Baitinger-Peterson, a white officer with approximately 11 years of law enforcement experience, fired the shots during a confrontation on July 22.
The incident occurred after four officers surrounded Ruiz, who was on a bicycle, following reports of an attempted burglary and a person checking parked cars. According to the state Justice Department, two officers initially attempted to use Tasers on Ruiz, but the devices were unsuccessful. The agency reported that Ruiz brandished a fixed-blade knife and injured Baitinger-Peterson before the officer fired his weapon. While law enforcement released an image of a knife recovered at the scene, they have not detailed the extent of the officer's injuries.
Baitinger-Peterson and three other officers involved in the encounter have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the state investigation. The Dane County District Attorney, Ismael Ozanne, will review the Division of Criminal Investigation’s findings to determine if criminal charges are warranted. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the Ruiz family, has called for the officer to be charged, while Jim Palmer of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association urged the public to wait for the investigation's conclusion, citing safety concerns for the officers involved.
The scale of the impact includes the suspension of four law enforcement officers and the mobilization of community members who held days of protests following the July 22 shooting. The specific number of Madison residents who participated in these demonstrations was not reported, but the events resulted in the cancellation or postponement of several nearby community activities. A final decision on charges will fall to District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, whose office oversees cases for a county of approximately 560,000 residents.
For Madison residents, this case highlights local policy regarding police equipment and transparency, as the absence of body cameras remains a central point of public discussion. The legal precedent set by this investigation will clarify how the state Justice Department evaluates use-of-force incidents involving non-firearm weapons, such as the fixed-blade knife reported in this case. A specific date for the conclusion of the investigation has not been established; however, the findings will eventually be handed to the District Attorney for a final charging decision.