Who is Ben Crump? 5 things to know about attorney representing Corey Ruiz's family in fatal Madison shooting case
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has been hired by the family of Corey Ruiz, who was shot and killed by a Madison police officer on July 22 during an attempted arrest, sparking protests in Wisconsin’s capital city.
Who is Ben Crump
According to Ben Crump’s official website, Crump is a renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney often called “Black America’s Attorney General.” He was named among TIME100’s Most Influential People of 2021, featured in Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 Most Influential African Americans and named the 2014 NNPA Newsmaker of the Year. He is the founder and principal owner of Ben Crump Law and has helped bring in legislation on excessive force and implicit bias training.
Also Read: Corey Ruiz, Madison Wisconsin shooting: 5 things about man killed in cop shooting as chilling video emerges
Here are 5 things to know about him:
- Crump has represented families in several major civil rights cases over the years, including those of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Stephon Clark, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, as well as residents affected by Flint, Michigan’s contaminated water.
- As per his website, he has secured historic settlements for families, including a $411 million verdict for Duane Washington, a $641 million settlement for Flint’s children, a $27 million settlement for George Floyd’s family and a $12 million settlement for Breonna Taylor’s family.
- He is President of the National Civil Rights Trial Lawyers Association and previously headed the National Bar Association. He also founded the Benjamin Crump Social Justice Institute and in 2023, St Thomas University’s College of Law in Miami was renamed the Benjamin L Crump College of Law.
- Crump has received honors including the NAACP Thurgood Marshall Award and the SCLC Martin Luther King Servant Leader Award and has hosted legal docudramas including “Evidence of Innocence” and “Who Killed Tupac: The Search For Justice.”
- He is a graduate of Florida State University and its College of Law.
Why Crump was hired in the Corey Ruiz case
As per Journal Sentinel, Ruiz’s family announced on July 23 that they were hiring Crump to examine whether excessive force was used in the fatal shooting. Ruiz was armed with a knife but bystander video of the incident sparked debate online.
In a news release, Crump said the family wants authorities to preserve and release all footage of the encounter, including squad car and bystander video, to determine whether deadly force was justified while Ruiz was on the ground. He said, “The video gives us a clear picture of what happened. Corey Ruiz was tased, taken to the ground, and then he was shot multiple times at close range, including in his face. This case has to be examined for excessive force. It happened in broad daylight, in front of dozens of witnesses.”
As per Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin’s Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the shooting. Crump has previously represented other Wisconsin families, including Keishon D Thomas, who died in custody at Milwaukee County Jail in 2022; Joel Acevedo’s family, after he was killed in a fight with an off-duty Milwaukee police officer; Jacob Blake, whose 2020 shooting by Kenosha police led to widespread protests; and D’Vontaye L. Mitchell’s family, after Mitchell died in 2024 while held facedown by security guards at a Milwaukee hotel.