Unhealed Wounds: Madison's Reckoning with Racialized Violence The recent shooting of a Black man by Madison police officers serves as a grim reminder of the city's ongoing struggle to confront and resolve its long history of racialized violence.
On July 22, an officer shot and killed Michael Ruiz after responding to reports of bicycle thefts in a neighborhood that has seen multiple tragic encounters between law enforcement and Black residents.
Madison's troubles with police brutality are not new; the city has been grappling with these issues for decades. In 2012, Paul Heenan was killed by an officer just a few blocks away from where Ruiz met his demise.