AtwoodFest Canceled Following Fatal Police Shooting of Corey Ruiz

Festival Cancellation and Community Impact

The decision to call off AtwoodFest, which was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday on Madison’s near-east side, was announced by festival music director Rökker Smith in a message to volunteers. The event, organized annually by the SASY Neighborhood Organization and the Barrymore Theatre, typically features dozens of artists across three stages and serves as a fundraiser for community grants.

The festival grounds are situated roughly a mile from the intersection of Williamson and Baldwin streets, where the fatal shooting took place. The incident has rippled through the city’s summer schedule; demonstrators disrupted a Concerts on the Square performance on Wednesday night, leading to that event’s cancellation, and the Madison Public Market postponed its grand opening on Thursday in solidarity with the community.

Details of the Fatal Encounter and Investigation

Madison Police Chief John Patterson reported that officers were responding to reports of a man checking vehicles in the Marquette neighborhood on July 22. According to police, the suspect, identified as 38-year-old Corey Ruiz, fled on a bicycle before being confronted by officers at approximately 1:35 p.m.

During the subsequent struggle, authorities claim Ruiz produced a knife and injured one officer. A second officer was also injured, though the nature of that injury was not disclosed. A Taser was deployed but proved ineffective. The officer who was stabbed then fired three shots, killing Ruiz. The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation is now examining the incident, and the findings will be turned over to the Dane County District Attorney’s Office to determine if criminal charges are warranted.

Renewed Debate Over Police Body Cameras

The absence of body-worn camera footage of the incident has intensified a long-standing political stalemate in Madison. Unlike nearly every other similarly sized city, Madison does not require its officers to wear body cameras. While the Madison Police Department has sought to implement the technology, previous efforts have been stalled by a mix of budget concerns and internal political debate.

A 2021 feasibility study identified concerns from community groups that cameras might be used to surveil marginalized populations. I cannot approve something that doesn’t have a policy and procedure behind it that is potentially going to hinder the community more than help the community, said Veronica Figueroa, then a member of the body-worn camera subcommittee, regarding those earlier objections.

Current proposals are now moving through the legislative process. A new motion to allocate $414,800 for a three-year rollout of a body-camera program is expected to be approved by the legislative body. Supporters, including Chief Patterson, have described the cameras as essential tools for the modern police officer, a sentiment echoed by national experts.

“Law enforcement experts tend to agree and some expressed surprise that the city’s nearly 500 officers weren’t already using the cameras.”

Michael D. White, criminal justice professor at Arizona State University

Protests and Calls for Accountability

Protesters have marched to the Wisconsin State Capitol and gathered at the scene of the shooting, leaving flowers and candles. Demonstrators have demanded the arrest and identification of the officer who fired the shots. The frustration is compounded by the location of the incident: the same street where white police officer Matt Kenny fatally shot Tony Robinson in 2015.

As the investigation continues, all four officers involved in Wednesday’s incident have been placed on administrative leave.