Madison Police Chief John Patterson’s press conference Thursday identifying the man fatally shot by officers the day before was overrun by protesters, with self-proclaimed anti-Zionist write-in gubernatorial candidate Carlos Lamar Dixon, who took the microphone and delivered a lengthy anti-Zionist tirade while officers stood by without intervening.
City officials, including Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Common Council President Sabrina Madison, had just confirmed the deceased as Corey Durell Ruiz, 38, a homeless Madison man, when roughly 20 protesters entered the room in the city-county building. Dixon stepped to the podium, cut off Patterson mid-remarks, and declared the proceedings a “puppet show” and “clown show.”
“You can stop talking because we don’t want to hear anything you’ve been saying,” Dixon said, according to video of the event. “This is a corrupt city. Have no fear. The anti-Zionist is here… Zero power to Zionist.” He dismissed the announced independent investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation and demanded immediate charges against the officer.
One protester displayed a sign reading “Corrupt cops deserve to die too.” The conference became disorderly and did not resume. Patterson later briefly acknowledged community pain but urged patience during the external investigation.
Dixon, a write-in candidate under the “Wisconsin Rebuild” banner, has a documented history of disruptive tactics. As reported by The Heartland Post, Dixon previously filmed himself in broad daylight removing campaign yard signs belonging to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong and state Rep. Ryan Clancy in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood. He described the signs as “hostages” held “for ransom” in what he called his war on capitalism and Zionism.
In Facebook posts detailed by The Heartland Post, Dixon stated: “I am anti-MAGA, I am anti-capitalism, I am anti-establishment, I am anti-Zionism, so whoever falls under those categories can feel the wrath of my political dissent.” He added that politicians “should be grateful that all I want is yard signs and not their heads,” and said he would only stop when capitalism and Zionism were destroyed. Neither Hong nor Clancy’s campaigns pressed charges.
The July 22 shooting that prompted the briefing remains under investigation. Officers responded to reports of a man checking parked vehicles. Ruiz fled on a bicycle, was intercepted, and during a struggle produced a fixed-blade knife, injuring one officer. A Taser was deployed but was ineffective. The officer then fired multiple rounds, and Ruiz was pronounced dead at the scene. Ruiz had a lengthy criminal history including felony convictions for strangulation, robbery, resisting officers, and battery against law enforcement.
Madison Police made no immediate effort to remove Dixon or restore order to their own official briefing. Officers present remained passive as the radical activist controlled the podium and the narrative. The episode left the department’s attempt to provide basic information on a critical incident looking weak and uncontrolled, handing the microphone to a fringe figure with a record of theft and anti-establishment provocation.
