Justice for Corey Ruiz

About Us

Freedom Action Now (FAN) advances the feminist abolitionist agenda, mobilizing allies to support grassroots organizations led by working class Black, Southeast Asian, and other women and queer people of color in Wisconsin.

Campaign: Justice for Corey Ruiz — Proposed Content

Corey Ruiz Was Executed in Broad Daylight. Justice Demands Accountability.

On July 22, 2026, at the corner of Willy Street and Baldwin, at least four Madison police officers surrounded and shot Corey Ruiz. He was tased first, then shot at close range. He died in the Marquette neighborhood — one of the few Black neighborhoods in Madison — blocks from where MPD officer Matt Kenney killed Tony Robinson in 2015. This is not an isolated tragedy. It is police murder, and it is the occupation made visible.

What Happened

Corey Ruiz was a Black man living in the Marquette neighborhood on Madison's near east side. On the afternoon of July 22, MPD officers — including Officer Kile Peterson — confronted him on the street. According to witness accounts, Ruiz was tased, then shot at close range. The entire encounter happened in broad daylight, in front of witnesses, in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

The Madison Police Department's response was predictable: they called it an "officer-involved shooting," placed Peterson on administrative leave, and announced an investigation. We know what happens next. The investigation will clear him. The Department will protect him. The cycle will continue — unless we break it.

The Pattern

Corey Ruiz is not the first Black person killed by Madison police. He will not be the last unless the system changes.

Tony Robinson, killed by MPD officer Matt Kenney in 2015 — blocks from where Corey Ruiz was killed.

Richard Lee Johnson, killed in MPD custody on December 31, 2024. Officer Alex Gonzalez shoved his head into the ground and applied his knee until Johnson died from prone restraint cardiac arrest. Police claimed it was a drug overdose. The OIPM ruled it a homicide in June 2026. They lied.

Corey. Tony. Richard. These are not isolated incidents. They are the predictable outputs of a police department that operates as an occupying force in Black communities.

The Demands

Justice for Corey Ruiz.

Release the names of every officer involved — immediately, not after an investigation designed to protect them.

Release all body camera and surveillance footage — the community has a right to see what happened.

Fire and prosecute Officer Kile Peterson — the officer who killed Corey Ruiz must be held accountable.

Drop any posthumous charges against Corey Ruiz — he is dead. The city does not get to criminalize him after killing him.

Jail Killer Cops.

Officer Alex Gonzalez must be charged, prosecuted, and imprisoned for the homicide of Richard Lee Johnson.

Officer Kile Peterson must face the same accountability for the killing of Corey Ruiz.

Police who kill Black people cannot remain on the force — or on the street.

End qualified immunity. Establish independent prosecution for police killings. Accountability cannot depend on the same system that protects the killers.

Community Control Over Police.

Justice for Corey Ruiz is not possible without community control. As long as the police investigate themselves, discipline themselves, and protect themselves, there will be more Coreys. More Tonys. More Richards. The demand is not better policing. The demand is power — communities deciding what safety looks like and who is accountable when harm is done.

How to Support

Sign the petition demanding Peterson's prosecution and the release of all footage.

Contact your alder and demand they strengthen the PCO Board on August 4 — not weaken it.

Show up. Freedom Inc. is organizing the community response. When they call for bodies at a hearing, a protest, or a vigil — be there.

Donate to Corey Ruiz's family and to the organizations providing direct support.

Who Is Leading

This campaign is led by Freedom Inc. and Corey Ruiz's family. FAN follows their leadership — mobilizing allies to provide material support, amplify demands, and turn out the numbers that make justice politically unavoidable.

[Sign the petition →] [Donate →] [Take Action →]