Update on the Police Killing of Corey Ruiz and the Protest Area at Willy and Baldwin

I have received over a hundred direct messages from neighbors over the last few days unanimously expressing a desire for justice. But there have also been many with concerns over the protest area on Willy and Baldwin. I will try to respond to everyone personally but in the meantime, I will answer many questions here.

In this post I'm going to cover:

• The ongoing investigation into the police killing of Corey Ruiz and process going forward
• The protest area on Willy and Baldwin
• Pending legislation affecting the Office of the Independent Monitor

In a post in the near future, I will address police body-worn cameras, why we don't have them and how we're gonna get them.

The Investigation

In a previous post I addressed the police killing of Corey Ruiz. I know what I saw in bystander videos. MPD is not part of the investigation, and by state law, the WI Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation has taken over. 

The ultimate decision over whether to charge the police officer with a crime rests in the hands of the Dane County District Attorney. Any potential discipline or firing of the officer is up to the city's Police and Fire Commission. The mayor cannot fire him, the police chief cannot fire him, the Office of the Independent Monitor cannot fire him. We are restrained by state law and agreements with the police labor union.

The Protest Area on Willy and Baldwin

On the evening of Wednesday, July 22, the day Corey Ruiz was killed, the community started gathering in earnest and setting up a makeshift occupation. My immediate priority has been ensuring the safety of all people at this location. Whether or not you or I agree with this manner of demonstration, we must all agree that safety is paramount.

 I have been working with the mayor's office and Streets to use salt trucks to block the street at times, taking the place of MPD police cars, which normally would be present. Emergency plans have been made in the case of a medical emergency inside the area. We also managed some basic things like a port-a-potty and getting garbage collected yesterday (along with a plan for future collection).

On Saturday, County Board Supervisor Yogesh Chawla and I went door-to-door to all the residences and businesses inside the barricades. We spoke to those who were present and left notes with contact information for those who were unavailable. We continue to have a dialogue with protest organizers to facilitate driveway access to residents and municipal services.

There is a strong storm in the forecast for early Monday morning that we continue to watch and prepare for. Again, my concern is for the safety of those choosing to weather this storm out in the open.

I know I keep saying this, but I want to be honest about the gravity of what we're navigating here. This is a serious, day-to-day situation and it deserves to be treated as one. People have every right to protest and make their voices heard, and that right matters deeply to me. 

At the same time, we're working hard to be mindful of neighbors and those who work in the area and serve our community here. I'd ask for patience as we work through this. I'm very much aware of the impact this has had on our neighbors and I do not take that lightly.

The Office of the Independent Monitor

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I fully support the mission of the Office of the Independent Monitor and the Police Civilian Oversight Board. While we may occasionally disagree on details of how that mission is carried out, the underlying support is solid. I am not certain of the current sponsors' intentions on rereferral from next Tuesday's Common Council meeting (August 4) as I have not been privy. I will not be moving my amendment to include an alder on the PCOB. However, it will remain in Legistar as documentation of this process.