They are far less active across the US in 2026, but not truly gone. Is it exasperating, or, is it entertaining? It depends on how you look at it. Yes, the Black Lives Matter movement is back, and big surprise, they're angry over the police shooting of another violent minority criminal. But, is he black?
Not according to his extensive offender detail record, in which his race is listed as "White" and his ethnicity is listed as "Latino". Yet another in a long line of imprisoned minority perpetrators falsely identified as white on their rap sheet in order to artificially reduce official crime stats. That said, it's nice to know that BLM is finally admitting that all lives matter.
Corey Durrell Ruiz, 38, recently released from prison, was approached by police while riding a bicycle after allegedly attempting to enter (break into) random vehicles in Madison, Wisconsin. He was also suspected of a previous bike theft.
When officers attempted to detain Ruiz, he ran. He was tackled off the bike, but produced a fixed blade knife and stabbed one of the officers. The wounded officer fired three shots, killing the suspect.
Generally speaking, pulling any weapon during an arrest and trying to use it against an LEO is legal justification for the use of deadly force in return. It is unlikely that the officers involved will face charges in court. Not to be overlooked, Corey Ruiz has a long criminal history of up to 40 separate misdemeanors and felonies dating back to 2007.
This includes an extensive history of attacking police officers, and yes, this does matter because it shows a consistent pattern of violence. A world without Corey Ruiz is, objectively, a better world.
The Black Lives Matter movement and the mainstream media have immediately seized on the shooting in an effort to exploit it for political purposes. The local Democrat run government is already bending the knee to protesters as they hijack press briefings with inane fatiguery. BLM mobs are stalking Madison looking for chances to create chaos. Wisconsin's leftist governor is calling for "accountability" in the shooting.
It's fascinating that the family of Corey Ruiz has appeared on camera to demand transparency, given that Ruiz was listed as homeless at the time of the encounter with police. Multiple reports indicate mental health and substance abuse issues, and apparently no one from Ruiz's family was willing to give him a place to stay. They are, though, readily available to soak up the media spotlight and feed the activist fervor in the wake of his death.
News outlets are circulating photos of Ruiz from 2014; a common tactic used by the media to make the suspect look younger and elicit greater empathy from gullible portions of the public.
Concert attendees in Madison got a taste of the old BLM mob mentality when protesters stormed the venue and demanded a platform for their grievances. As much as they would like this to become a "George Floyd moment", however, times have changed and BLM has exhausted much of the public support they had in 2020.
The shooting is a clear case of officer self defense based on eye witness accounts and the available video footage. Police body cams are liable to give more detailed insight into the incident, but the evidence against Ruiz is already damning.
Leftist groups and Democrats seem to be angling for more Kenosha-style riots, perhaps as a means to create disruption during an election year. But the American populace is tired of the theatrics. If the protests don't fade due to lack of interest and riots do take place, few people are going to shed a tear if the National Guard drops the hammer on them.
Ultimately, Ruiz is one of many repeat offenders who had no chance of reform; a member of the 1% of people who cause the vast majority of societal grief for the other 99%. He should have stayed locked up for the safety of the community at large, and if he had been he would still be alive today. Maybe, though, that's not what the Democrats and BLM really want.