威斯康星州麦迪逊警察局白人警官基尔·贝廷格-彼得森于2024年7月22日致命射杀了38岁黑人男子科里·鲁伊斯[1]。该事件被录像记录，引发大规模抗议，围绕警方对待有色人种的方式引起广泛关注[1]。威斯康星州司法部刑事调查部门随后公开了这名警官的身份[1]。
贝廷格-彼得森拥有近11年的执法经验[1]，目前与其他三名涉案警官一起被放置在带薪行政假期，等待州调查结论以决定是否提出指控[1]。事件发生时没有警体摄像机录像，因为麦迪逊警察部门的警官不配备此类装备[1]。根据记录，两名警官曾试图使用电击枪但未成功，鲁伊斯随后拔刀伤害了贝廷格-彼得森[1]。
民权律师本·克鲁普代表鲁伊斯家族发声，呼吁对该警官提出指控[1]。与此同时，威斯康星专业警察协会执行主任吉姆·帕尔默表达了对该警官安全的担忧[1]。
Authorities have publicly identified the officer involved in the fatal shooting of Corey Ruiz, a 38-year-old Black man on a bicycle in Madison, Wisconsin on July 22, 2024.[1] The officer, Kyle Bittinger-Peterson, a white police officer with nearly 11 years of law enforcement experience, has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the state investigation.[1]
According to investigators, two officers attempted to use a Taser on Ruiz, but the device was unsuccessful.[1] During the encounter, Ruiz drew a knife and injured Bittinger-Peterson before being fatally shot.[1] The incident was captured on video and prompted large-scale protests over how police treat people of color.[1] Wisconsin's Department of Justice Criminal Investigation Division is handling the state investigation to determine whether charges will be filed.[1] Three other officers have also been placed on paid administrative leave in connection with the incident.[1]
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the Ruiz family, has called for charges to be filed against the officer.[1] Meanwhile, Jim Palmer, executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, has expressed concerns about the officer's safety.[1] The Madison Police Department does not equip officers with body cameras, meaning no police body camera footage of the shooting exists.[1]