Two Wisconsin law enforcement leaders are pushing back at the narrative from some on the left – including the Democrat frontrunner Fran Hong – that the Madison police shooting was an “execution.”
Both state Rep. Jim Piwowarczyk (R-Hubertus) and Sheriff’s Capt. Nick Ollinger (who is running for sheriff against John Gscheidmeier) said that they believe the shooting, based on what is known now and review of public videos, likely appears to be legally justified use of force. Piwowarcyk was a police officer and sergeant for almost 20 years and is the vice chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety. Ollinger is a captain in the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department who led a command unit during the Kenosha riots.
Both men said that too often law enforcement stays silent as politicians create false narratives in the early moments of police shootings, and they wanted to push back at that.
The shooting unfolded on July 22 and caused protests; Madison’s police chief said that the officer opened fire after a man cut him with a knife. We previously named him via sources as Corey Ruiz, an absconder from community supervision with a lengthy criminal record. Read more about the shooting and Ruiz here.
“I’m sure the Democrats will soon be firing off their incendiary statements regarding the Madison Police shooting to politicize it for their own selfish narratives. Remember what happened in Kenosha. Remember Gov. Evers’ statement,” said Piwowarczyk
Piwowarczyk quoted Evers’ statement on the Jacob Blake shooting in Kenosha: “While we do not have all of the details yet, what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country.” The Blake shooting was later ruled justified by a Democrat DA because Blake twisted toward the officer with a knife.
“Hours later, Kenosha burned,” wrote Piwowarczyk. “The officer was later exonerated. I believe, after an initial review of the videos and statements by the Chief, that the officer was justified in using deadly force. The chief says Corey Ruiz produced a knife and injured an officer during the struggle. That officer then fired his weapon after less-than-deadly force (TASER) was used. An officer must fear for his life or great bodily harm to himself or others to justify deadly force. I believe he met that burden.”
Ollinger, who is running for sheriff against John Gscheidmeier, called WRN and said he wanted to weigh in on the Madison police shooting and the statements by Democrat governor candidates David Crowley and Francesca Hong (the latter called the shooting an “execution” even though the Madison police chief said the firing officer was injured by a knife-wielding Corey Ruiz before shooting – you can see the weapon in the video after an officer places it to the side.)
“This state sanctioned violence was an execution” – Democrat frontrunner Fran Hong inciting a crowd against police right now in #Madison.
“We no longer can have a system that protects a power and a privilege that puts the pain and lives of armed officers over black people. We… https://t.co/jghlli51Tu
— Wisconsin Right Now (@wisconsin_now) July 23, 2026
Hong, who has advocated abolishing the police, later walked into the middle of an angry crowd with a megaphone and said, “This state sanctioned violence was an execution” – Democrat frontrunner Fran Hong inciting a crowd against police right now in Madison. We no longer can have a system that protects a power and a privilege that puts the pain and lives of armed officers over black people. We can not protect a system that contains to rain harm and terror.”
Crowley’s statement mentioned Kenosha. “I am horrified by the reports coming out of Madison about a man who was shot and killed in the street by police officers. My heart is with the individual’s loved ones, who are now facing an unimaginable loss, and with the entire Madison community as it grapples with this tragedy,” his statement read, in part.
“They’re condemning the officer before knowing the facts,” Ollinger said.
“Based on the video evidence that we can see, based on my training and experience, based on what the chief has said, this appears to be justified,” Ollinger said. “But we have to gather all of the facts. But what we are presented with today, it appears to be justified.”
Asked to explain why, he said, “The weapon, intent and delivery system. The individual from what I can see was being taken into custody. He presented a weapon which was the knife. He had the intent because he ended up cutting the officer and he delivered the knife into the person. From my training and experience, the officer would be justified.”
He explained that the law holds lethal force justified when there is “the intentional use of a weapon or firearm that can cause death or great bodily harm to you or another person or persons. You have to have the justification there. The officer will have to bring this out as to why he felt that way.”
Added Ollinger: “We have two governor candidates coming out, one calling it an execution before we have all the facts. That right there is why we have recruitment and retention problems. We have individuals who don’t have all of the factual information. This officer went out to protect the citizens of Madison. They were attempting to take someone into custody and that individual presented a weapon and ended up injuring the officer.”
Asked what he thinks the consequences of politician’ incendiary statements can be, he said:
“We have seen it. I was there in Kenosha. We see what happens. I was there protecting the citizens of Kenosha on the court steps for days while citizens were burning the city.” He was “commanding our civil disturbance unit.”
