Michigan Man Shot After Stabbing Customer for Not Wearing a Mask

After stabbing another customer in Quality Dairy and fleeing the scene in his car, Sean Ernest Ruis, 43, was being pulled over by a deputy on a residential street, resulting in his death.

What We Know:

  • Sean Ernest Ruis walked into Quality Dairy located on 7120 Lansing Road in Dimondale without wearing a mask. A 77-year-old man from Lansing who was wearing a mask asked Ruis to cover up his face and Ruis was refused service by the store.
  • Ruis pulled out a knife, stabbed the man, and then fled the scene from the store. An employee called the cops to explain the situation and described Ruis. The police then issued an alert with the description of Ruis’ car and license plate number and a short time later, Ruis was being pulled over by an Eaton County Sheriff’s deputy on a residential street in neighboring Delta Township at 7:13 a.m.
  • The encounter was captured by the bodycam of the deputy and a security camera at a nearby house. In the bodycam video, Ruis is seen getting out of his car with weapons in his hands to attack the deputy. The deputy is heard shouting “Drop the knife!” and “Drop the weapon!” several times in the video.
  • According to a statement from the police, which can be seen in the video, the deputy attempted to back away from Ruis to increase the distance while subsequently shooting and injuring him. Ruis was transported to a local hospital and died during surgery.
  • The graphic footage was released by the Eaton County Sheriff’s Department and state police who said that the deputy, who is a 22 1/2 year veteran of the force, “acted in defense of her life.”
  • She was not injured but was placed on administrative leave as standard practice in an officer-involved shooting.

The sheriff said that thoughts and prayers are given for the stabbed victim and their deputy.