Madison police officer Kiel Baitinger-Peterson survived an encounter with a man armed with a knife. Now his name is public, his family's safety is a concern, and precautions are being taken to protect them.
Welcome to the second ordeal faced by an officer who already survived the first one.
PBS Wisconsin (emphasis mine):
Investigators on Aug. 10 released the name of the Madison police officer who shot and killed a 38-year-old Black man in July — a shooting that was captured on video and sparked protests that put Wisconsin’s capital city on edge over how authorities treat people of color.
Kiel Baitinger-Peterson, a white officer with nearly 11 years’ experience in law enforcement, fired the shots that killed Corey Ruiz on July 22, the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation said in a statement. Baitinger-Peterson was one of four officers who surrounded Ruiz, who was on a bike, in response to calls about someone who was checking out parked cars and an alleged burglary attempt, police said.
The shooting sparked days of protests and calls from the Black community for Madison to address racial justice issues.
Baitinger-Peterson did not reply to an email seeking comment.
Is it just me, or is the fact that PBS Wisconsin sent a bloody email to the officer a microcosm of our current media?
The Wisconsin Department of Justice identified Baitinger-Peterson Monday as the officer who fatally shot 38-year-old Corey Ruiz on July 22. The facts released so far are remarkably clear. Police responded after reports of someone checking parked vehicles and an alleged burglary attempt.
Ruiz fled on a bicycle; four officers later encountered him near South Baldwin and Williamson streets, and a struggle followed.
Ruiz brandished a knife and injured Baitinger-Peterson. Two other officers tried Tasers, which failed.
Baitinger-Peterson fired his weapon; another officer was also injured. Investigators recovered a fixed-blade knife at the scene.
At approximately 1:00 p.m., Madison Police Department officers responded to the Marquette neighborhood for a report of a subject allegedly involved in checking parked vehicles and an alleged burglary attempt. Officers located and attempted to contact the subject,who fled on a bicycle.
At approximately 1:35 p.m., contact was made by four responding officers with the subject, Corey D. Ruiz, 38, at the intersection of S. Baldwin and Williamson Streets. Upon contact with law enforcement, Mr. Ruiz was involved in a physical altercation with officers, during which he brandished a knife and injured officer Kiel Baitinger-Peterson, with 10 years and 10 months of law enforcement service. Two other officers attempted to use a taser on the subject without success. Officer Batinger-Peterson discharged his firearm, striking Mr. Ruiz.
A knife was recovered from the scene.
EMS was contacted and life saving measures were rendered on Mr. Ruiz, who was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
One additional officer sustained injuries during the incident. Both injured officers were treated at a local hospital and have since been released. No other members of law enforcement or other members of the public were injured during this incident.
Both injured officers were treated at a hospital and released.
Those are the facts that have been released by investigators. They describe an officer facing an armed man who had already injured him while two attempts at less-lethal force failed.
Read More: The Left Wanted Another George Floyd. Madison Got the Facts Instead.
Yet long before investigators finished their work, Madison Alder Noah Lieberman publicly called Ruiz's death "absolutely unacceptable" and wrote that he found it difficult to imagine any justification for the officers' actions.
He encouraged people sharing his outrage to join peaceful protests. Police Chief John Patterson hadn't yet been able to answer Lieberman's questions about precisely how quickly events unfolded.
Now the public has Baitinger-Peterson's name.
Wisconsin Professional Police Association Executive Director Jim Palmer says he's deeply concerned about the safety and privacy of Baitinger-Peterson, his family, and the other officers.
Palmer says officials are taking those concerns seriously and have put appropriate precautions in place.
Think about what those words mean.
A cop with nearly 11 years of law enforcement experience leaves home one morning, gets injured by a man wielding a knife, survives, and later learns his wife, children, parents, or whoever else shares his life may need protection because strangers now know exactly whom to hate.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who's been crawling from racial scene to racial scene and represents Ruiz's family, has already called for Baitinger-Peterson to be charged.
Baitinger-Peterson and the other three officers who interacted with Ruiz that day have been placed on paid administrative leave while the state investigates the shooting.
There is no timeline for when the state Justice Department investigation will conclude. Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne will review the findings before deciding whether to file charges against Baitinger-Peterson.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Ruiz’s family, has called for the officer to be charged.
While bystanders captured the confrontation on video, there is no body camera footage because Madison police officers don’t wear them.
The state Justice Department said two officers attempted to use a Taser on Ruiz but weren’t successful. Ruiz “brandished a knife and injured” Baitinger-Peterson, it said. Law enforcement agencies haven’t divulged the extent of the officer’s injuries. They did release an image of a fixed-blade knife that was recovered at the scene.
The protests over the shooting led to several nearby community events being canceled or postponed.
Meanwhile, the state investigation remains unfinished; Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne will make the charging decision after reviewing the completed investigation.
Ozanne has publicly said his decision can't be driven by emotion or fears about how people may react.
Good. Follow the evidence.
Baitinger-Peterson deserves — no, demands — the same consideration.
Publishing his name may satisfy demands for transparency, but transparency carries consequences when political rage travels from a smartphone to somebody's front door.
The people demanding accountability rarely pay the price when an officer's spouse starts checking unfamiliar cars outside the house or his children learn why Dad suddenly worries about what they post online.
Kiel Baitinger-Peterson already had to make a life-or-death decision in seconds.
Now, because everyone knows his name, he and his family may spend years living with people who took only seconds to decide what kind of man he is.
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