CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne described the police shooting of Corey Ruiz as a tragedy. I agree. I’m saddened that he was shot and killed by Madison police last month.
I see a street thug who was non-compliant with arresting officers. Others see a street execution. The District Attorney will be presented with an investigative report from the state Department of Justice and will then have to decide what, if anything, will happen to the officers involved.
I am withholding judgement about that. In my mind, there are unanswered questions: How was the knife introduced? One officer was injured by the blade. If Corey Ruiz wielded it, the case for deadly force becomes overwhelming. There appears to be very little time between the use of a taser and the fatal shots. Why? What was happening in that moment?
I have other questions about Corey Ruiz. His rap sheet is long. He was arrested eight times for resisting arrest. At least half of those incidents involved Madison PD. Why was he out on the streets instead of in jail? Is resisting just some ad-on charge that gets dropped while a case is prosecuted? Brawling with police seems like, eventually, it could have tragic consequences.
Why was Corey Ruiz homeless? Family members will soon be filing a lawsuit demanding millions for the loss of his life. Why were no family members willing to take him into their homes? Perhaps he was a violent, uncontrollable man when he was drunk or high.
Madison – the most liberal city in all of Wisconsin – had nothing for Corey Ruiz. Mayor Satia Rhodes Conway, does your city not have some type of housing or mental health program for someone like this? Francesca Hong, candidate for governor, Corey Ruiz was shot in your state assembly district. Was there no help available for this homeless man?
Liberals will say my argument is a classic case of ‘blame the victim’. Unfortunately, the victim bares most of the responsibility for his actions. For all their professed do-go’ing, liberal Madison had nothing for Corey Ruiz except revolving door justice, and a cycle of homelessness and addiction. In their world, he struggled until tragedy struck.
Chris Conley
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