Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, retained by the family of Corey Ruiz, said in a statement Thursday that the Wisconsin police officer who fatally shot Ruiz should face criminal charges. Crump characterized the killing as an unjustified use of excessive force, saying Ruiz “was tased, taken to the ground, and then he was shot multiple times at close range, including in his face.”

A Madison police officer fatally shot Ruiz, 38, on Wednesday afternoon during an attempted arrest at a busy intersection. Four Madison Police Department (MPD) officers apparently responded to a report of a person checking parked vehicles. The police report says Ruiz fled on a bicycle, and a chase followed. It then claims Ruiz produced a fixed-blade knife that injured one officer, who then fired three shots. However, Crump stated that bystander footage reviewed by his office shows that the officers appeared to have tased and brought Ruiz to the ground before the shooter opened fire. All four officers have been placed on administrative leave, and the shooting officer has not been publicly identified.

Crump called on authorities to preserve and publicly release all footage of the encounter, including squad-car and bystander video. He also called for an examination as to whether deadly force was justified while Ruiz was on the ground. In a press conference with Ruiz’s family, Crump stated: “People all over America are shocked when they see the execution of Corey Ruiz, because they understand .. it was so unnecessary to execute him.” Ruiz’s mother, Elsa Ruiz, visibly shaken, recalled, “My son was an exceptional guy; he was my love. He loved his daughter [and] his family. He did not deserve to be taken out like that.” Ruiz’s daughter, Kah’liyah Ruiz, 13, also spoke out: “My heart [is] just so broken, and it just hurts so much knowing I can’t see my father anymore.”

Days of protests ensued after the shooting, including a heated Thursday news conference interrupted by demonstrators demanding immediate charges. Madison Police Chief John Patterson said he requested the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to lead an independent homicide investigation. The DCI will process evidence, interview witnesses, and present findings to the district attorney. It will also determine when to release the shooting officer’s name. “This process exists precisely so that no department in Wisconsin investigates itself,” Patterson said.

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said the district attorney, the city’s independent police monitor, and the Police Civilian Oversight Board would assist in the review. Patterson noted the shooting’s proximity to two earlier fatal police encounters—the 2015 death of Tony Robinson and the 2012 death of Paul Heenan—makes it the third deadly incident on the same few blocks over roughly 14 years.