MADISON, Wis. (AP) 鈥� The mother of a man said Corey Ruiz was an exceptional man who loved his daughter and the rest of his family.
鈥淗e was my love. He loved his daughter, he loved his family. He did not deserve to be taken out like that. They took my baby from me,鈥� his mother Elsa Ruiz said, breaking down in tears. She said she never imagined she would be burying her son.
The emotional news conference Thursday marked the first time the family has made a public statement since Ruiz, 38, was killed on a busy city street on Wednesday. Police say Ruiz pulled a knife during a struggle with four officers, injuring one of them. That officer then fired the shots, according to police.
All four officers have been placed on administrative leave pending a state investigation. A separate investigation by the city鈥檚 independent police monitor is also underway.
The family promised to seek justice for Ruiz鈥� death. They were accompanied by , who called the shooting an unjustified 鈥渆xecution.鈥�
鈥淎nytime there is excessive use of force, there should be accountability,鈥� Crump said. He said it was 鈥渟hocking on every level.鈥�
The shooting was captured on cellphone video that was widely shared online, though Madison Police Chief John Patterson cautioned Thursday that the video did not show the altercation from the police officers鈥� perspective.
But unlike nearly every other similarly sized city, Madison to use body-worn cameras, so there is no footage from the officers鈥� perspective.
鈥淭hank God there was video,鈥� Crump said. 鈥淚f there wasn鈥檛 video, imagine what the narrative would have been.鈥�
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