Quality Dairy customer dies after being stabbed over face mask confrontation
Lansing MI Aug 12 2020 A 77-year-old Lansing man who was stabbed by a disgruntled Quality Dairy customer on July 14 has died, according to the Lansing State Journal.
Police say at about 6:47 a.m. on that day, Sean Ruis, 43, of Grand Ledge, entered the convenience store in Dimondale without wearing a mask. Ruis reportedly got into an argument with the Lansing man over his refusal to wear a mask amid new face covering requirements.
Ruis was also reportedly denied service for his failure to comply with face mask requirements, police said.
Police say Ruis stabbed the victim and then fled the store.
The 77-year-old man has recently died as a result of his injuries, according to a report.
A Quality Dairy store clerk at the scene called 9-1-1 following the incident and said it appeared that the victim was stabbed multiple times in the neck.
The victim was previously reported in serious condition following the incident.
Quality Dairy addressed the victim’s death in a Facebook post on Monday, saying the Lansing man was assaulted “senselessly and without provocation.”
The man accused of stabbing the victim is also deceased after being fatally shot during an altercation with an Eaton County deputy shortly after the stabbing.
Police say Ruis was fleeing the scene of the stabbing in Dimondale and was located by an Eaton County deputy about 30 minutes later in Delta Township.
The deputy conducted a traffic stop of Ruis and he got out of his vehicle and began advancing toward the deputy, officials said.
Previously-released footage showed Ruis advancing toward the deputy with two knives in one hand and a screwdriver in another, officials said. The deputy was also seen attempting to back away from the man while aiming her weapon at him.
The deputy then fired multiple shots at Ruis, though the exact number of shots fired is unknown.
The man was transported to the hospital where he died in surgery, officials said.
The Eaton County deputy was not injured during the altercation. She was previously placed on administrative leave while the incident was under investigation — which is standard procedure when an officer is involved in a shooting, officials said.
“It’s very unfortunate she had to use her weapon, but she had to save her life,” Eaton County Sheriff Tom Reich said. “She had to use deadly force. She did it properly.”
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered in July that face masks must be worn in all indoor public spaces and some outdoor spaces as coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continued to rise in the state. Businesses have also been ordered to deny entry or service to individuals who fail to comply with the requirements.
The decision about whether to wear a mask in public for some has become a political statement, and numerous violent incidents have occurred due to noncompliance at businesses throughout Michigan.
In May, a security guard at a Family Dollar store in Flint was fatally shot after denying entry to a customer without a mask. In July, a man allegedly punched two employees at a restaurant in Utica after being asked to comply with face covering requirements.
When asked about the violence over mask wearing in the state of Michigan, Whitmer said she can’t pretend to understand why someone would resort to that over “wearing a piece of cloth on your face.”
“We’re asking people to do a simple act of wearing a piece of cloth on their face, alright?” Whitmer said. “It shouldn’t be political. It shouldn’t be about rivalries. It shouldn’t be about anything other than doing what we need to do to keep ourselves safe, our families safe and our communities safe.”
Whitmer also said she was “incredibly sad” about the incident in Eaton County and to see how some people behave when they’re asked to do the right thing.
