Sean Ruis Grand Ledge Michigan man shot dead by cop after mask dispute at Quality Dairy store. 77 year old man who was stabbed following altercation in stable condition.
A Michigan man who stabbed a shopper after being confronted about not wearing a face mask at a convenience store was on Tuesday fatally gunned down by police.
Sean Ernest Ruis, 43, of Grand Ledge, allegedly stabbed a 77-year-old Lansing man who challenged him about not wearing a mask at a Quality Dairy store before fleeing, state police Lt. Brian Oleksyk said.
Shortly after, a sheriff’s deputy spotted Ruis’ vehicle in a residential neighborhood in Eaton County and proceeded to engage the wanted man, Oleksyk said according to press reports.
Upon Ruis allegedly pulling out a knife and approaching the female deputy, the officer who continued to retreat, responded with gunfire after the man refused to stop his advancement.
Ruis, who worked at the Michigan Department of Transportation, was brought to a hospital, where he died.
#UPDATE: @MSPFirstDist say Sean Ruis, 43, of Grand Ledge died this morning after being shot by a veteran Eaton County Sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop following a stabbing at an Eaton County store.
More details ⬇️⬇️⬇️https://t.co/IaOA2SCqDr pic.twitter.com/iJM22ZSyeI
— Araceli Crescencio WLNS (@aracelireports) July 14, 2020
Resistance to wear mask amid ongoing coronavirus continues
The stabbing victim, meanwhile, was in critical condition at a hospital.
Ruis who worked as a transportation technician had been expected to come to work Tuesday.
The Eaton County Sheriff’s Office said Ruis didn’t have any kind of criminal history in the county.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has ordered people to wear masks in stores to help prevent the spread of the ongoing coronavirus.
The decision about whether to wear a mask in public for some has become a political statement, and there have been other instances of violent encounters over masks. In May, a security guard at a Family Dollar store in Flint was fatally shot after denying entry to a customer without a mask.
