Michigan Deputy Shoots Suspect Wanted for Stabbing in Mask Argument

U.S.A.-(AmmoLand.com)- At about 6:47 a.m., a suspect identified as Sean Ernest Ruis was in a confrontation inside a Dimondale Quality Dairy store. Ruis was refused service for not wearing a mask. He allegedly stabbed a 77-year-old man while they were inside the store. Then Ruis drove off.

At 7:13, a deputy with the Eaton County Sheriff’s Office pulled Ruis over. The veteran female officer had 22 years of experience.

Ruis got out of the vehicle and moved toward the officer with weapons in his hands.

The officer attempted to increase distance, but Ruis accelerated toward her, and she fired shots to stop the attack. The officer continues to fire at Ruis as she attempts to increase the distance, and he attempts to make contact. Ruis uses a toe to heel advance technique, which is taught in some disciplines to close the distance quickly, without appearing to do so.

screenshot from police camera video

It was a very close thing. It appears Ruis and the officer made brief contact as she was firing at him.

Screenshot from police body camera. Text and arrows, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

From the video, it appears Ruis has a screwdriver with about an 8-inch blade in his left hand and a knife or scissors with about a 4-inch blade in his right hand.

It seems likely contact between the officer’s gun and Ruis’s hand caused a failure to feed in the deputy’s sidearm. The sidearm looks like a Glock 19.

The impact of the bullets had an effect. The officer cleared the malfunction and continued firing.

This is a classic example of the necessity of training in the Tueller Drill. Assailants with contact weapons can close the distance very rapidly. Even after being shot multiple times, attackers can have sufficient energy and will to close and make a deadly attack.

If, instead of a screwdriver in his left hand, the attacker had an edged weapon, the officer very likely would have been cut, and possibly lost control of the pistol.

Skilled knife users know to go after the weapon hand. It is the primary target to disable.

But bullets beat blades if the gun wielder has the skill and time to use them. In this case, the deputy made the right defensive moves. It was barely enough.

Ruis appears to have had some training or to have studied knife techniques. Still, displaying a contact weapon and then attacking an opponent armed with a firearm, smacks of desperation or, possibly suicide by deputy.

This tragic situation could have been avoided if the suspect had been able to control himself a bit better. It is unknown if intoxicants were involved.


About Dean Weingarten:Dean Weingarten

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

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JPM

Once again the media shows blatant disregard for accuracy and facts and any kind of research or knowledge. The officer did NOT reload, she cleared a jam as the author noted, but the press was only interested in getting the story out first and accuracy be damned.

Deplorable Bill

The cop was lucky to be alive at the end of the incident. The bad guy knew he was going to jail. Appears to me he was suicidal and maybe wanted to take the cop with him. Street sweeper is correct, a round or two to the pelvis slows anyone down. A round in the femer bone would put a leg out of business also. It’s not easy to do under stress. It appears that the cop missed at least two rounds. I hope there’s nobody shot or dead in those houses down range. Things go sideways fast in situations… Read more »

RoyD

The Miami FBI shootout. If you haven’t read the story, read it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_FBI_Miami_shootout

Knute

Paul Harrell did a video on it some years ago also. Good commentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv8cByaVyNQ

Knute

She was a bit more than just lucky. She followed the same advice I suggested to Vern below. She fired a few shots as the perp advanced, but then lowered her gun hand in order to fend off the incoming attack with her left arm. Humans do this automatically. When something comes at you fast, you duck or block it automatically. It is hardwired into us. It’s the most primitive, and the fastest, level of our reflexes. It is why one cannot put one’s hand against a glass cage with a snake in it, and hold it against the glass… Read more »

Buster

Well done, officer. [The part of America that really matters] is very proud of you! We’re thankful for you and your dedication, and we’re sorry you were put in this predicament.

For those viewers who want to learn from this incident – great! For those who criticize her actions: if you haven’t walked in her shoes, just stfu.

Core

Excellent job Deputy! Very well done. This shows how fast things escalate.

RoyD

Her rate of fire was rather pathetic given the threat. It would be interesting to know if she had ever, in her “22 years of experience”, had to shoot a person before. There are lessons there for those that wish to learn them.

FL-GA

I hope that she never before had to before, and that she will never have to again. But I’m glad she was able to and made the decision to fire.
Thank You, Officer.

StLPro2A

Deputy probably only unholstered her gun 22 times in her career……during annual qualification. Proof under stress your proficiency drops to the lowest level of practice. In her defense, given today’s environment, she was probably thinking….”OH, no. Here goes my career, my life, my family’s security. shoot or die? shoot or die?” Tough position to be in for what LEOs make. And, if she lives, she will have to face MSM and BLM (Burn/Loot/Mayhem) scrutiny

tortugabob

Notice how they pronounced his name “Rice” instead of “Ruis” (RU-Ess). He was a latino and you have to wonder if they were trying to hide the fact. Nevertheless the officer did well and we had a happy ending.

Buster

@ tortugabob

Race is only mentioned/clarified/expounded upon when doing so supports the leftist agenda.

The more jaded to the msm garbage we become, the harder they have to work to rub our noses in it. The more they rub our noses in it, well…you know 🙂

Knute

Yes, indeed. It’s a downward spiral of their own creation that the elite rulers are caught in. And there is no stopping it at this point. It only ends in a giant “splat” when they crash and burn. And they know it. Little wonder that the governments are mostly as nutty as fruitcakes huh? That’s what happens when panicky sheeple get all desperate, because they know their time is short. It’s what we pilot’s call “the back side of the power curve”. When adding more power only makes the problem worse. And all they can do is keep doubling down,… Read more »

StreetSweeper

IMO at that close range you’re better off shooting at the pelvic girdle instead of center of mass. The attacker cannot advance with a shattered pelvis no matter how much adrenaline and drugs he has in him.

Knute

Good point. That was the premise behind the old “Presidente” series of stages in the IPSC. The whole series is based on center mass hits not stopping the threat. I think the one I’m thinking of was the Vice Presidente. Three targets, two each in center mass, and then followed by a reload and two each in the pelvis. Perhaps it was the El Presidente. I haven’t shot competition in decades now.
The reasoning was; if the center mass shots don’t remove the threat (hopped up on drain cleaner, body armor, whatever), the pelvis shot(s) will.

Boz

Suicide By Cop. This rabid vermin WANTED to be put down.

American Patriot

Won’t be national news, cuz he doesn’t appear to be black.

Living Free in Texas

I hope all the idiots who think you don’t need more bullets in your mag are watching. Ooops no, they do not care when a cop or anyone else gets killed.

Ryben Flynn

Tap, rack, BANG.

uncle dudley

Will we see or hear about White Lives Matter protesting, rioting burning and looting destroying parts of the city after this shooting by a police officer against a light color skin toned person.
My money is on no we won’t.

StLPro2A

Uh, MDOT employee calling in… DEAD. Gonna be late this morning.

Won’t hear about this on MSM….not a BLM…Burning/Looting/Mayhem event.

ahhiyawa

I join with others on this page in high praise of the deputy. Except for one tactical point she focused on center mass hits, backed up as her attacker closed the distance, maintained possession & control of her weapon after the perp swiped her gun hand, successfully cleared a jam and mag dumped putting her man down. The tactical point I’m raising is she was legally in her rights according to the ‘Tueller Drill’ to have dropped this knife & screw-driver wielding attacker once he passed the 21 foot limit. Allowing this thug to close the distance with obvious intent… Read more »

Sven79

“Reload”

“Drop the clip”

Oh brother.

Vern

I wonder how many shots he would have been able to take from a 10mm?
A sheriffs deputy friend of mine told me that anytime you have someone coming at you with a knife, give a 25 foot distance between you and him, once he crosses that line start shooting because even that distance can easily be not enough time to be safe.
I use critical defense for carry, after watching this I am thinking of another heavier weight carry with much more impact.

Charlie Foxtrot

Look up the Tueller drill mentioned and linked in the article! That’s exactly where that 25 foot distance argument comes from!
Hornady Critical Defense is not a bad round. I am not sure what you mean by carrying something with heavier weight and with much more impact. Handgun rounds are generally underpowered in comparison to rifle and shotgun rounds. Shot placement counts! It looks like she got something like 9 rounds off, but how many hits?

Vern

I am thinking about a 10mm.

Charlie Foxtrot

I have 10mm (Glock 20) for carry while hiking and defense against animals. Otherwise, I carry 9mm (Glock 19) every day. Hot 10mm loads have more recoil and are more difficult to control. It takes training and practice to be as fast and as accurate with a 10mm as with a 9mm. You still don’t get any significant ballistic advantage with a 10mm over a 9mm for defense against an attacking human. In other words, going to 10mm creates more problems and doesn’t solve any for you. Don’t seek an upgrade in gear as a solution to a training deficiency.… Read more »

Vern

Thanks for the info, my carry is an Uzi Baby Eagle, very accurate. Perhaps I will reconsider and spend more time with what I have. The 10 would be good against bear or other large critters.
Lehigh Defense has some rather interesting projectiles at present that have a lot of promise.

FL-GA

Underwood Ammo loaded with Lehigh Defense bullets is my bear country carry.

Vern

What caliber?

Knute

Vern: In my experience, the Tueller drill is largely irrelevant in the real world. IMO, one is a lot better off facing that kind of threat without firing. Instead, pay attention to the attacker, parry or block the incoming attack with your weak hand, and then use the firearm (it should be held one handed, back at your strong hip by now…) to launch as many rounds as you feel you need into the attacker’s torso at muzzle contact range. One might take a cut on the forearm or something, but I’d sure rather have that, than a chest full… Read more »

Vern

Yeah, I liked those commercials too.

Knute

I saw a mini documentary on him a few weeks back on googletube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNOpADr1vKs
I didn’t even know that he had died. Some twenty years ago now. 🙁

Knute

gcm: Your comment made me curious, so I looked Jim Varney up. According to wikipedia, he was married twice but had no children. It doesn’t mention any siblings though. Perhaps he had a brother. It does mention his being replaced by a long-time friend named Blake Clark with the same Tennessee accent, as the voice of the dog in the “Toy Story” movies after Varney’s death. Blake Clark doesn’t look anything like him though. He’s the guy who owned the hardware store that Tim Allen would hang out at sometimes in the show; “Home Improvement”. I found that little tidbit… Read more »

Vern

Kool.

Finnky

@Vern – While harder hitting rounds can help, one needs to carry what they shoot well. As someone who has spent decades working a desk and with minimal physical activity – I can dump 9mm quickly while maintaining combat accuracy. Even 40 cal slows me way down, and since I practice more with the 9mm is less accurate as well. I suspect effect would be magnified for “real” 10mm. Most factory 10 mm is really 40 cal loads in a big case. Notable exceptions like buffalo bore are kind of $$$. Projectile type is probably more important than caliber. Difference… Read more »

Vern

Thanks for the info.

Camotim

OUTSTANDING!!!

Laddyboy

VICTIM??? The only VICTIM I see in this released video is the POLICE!! The ATTACKER IS NOT A VICTIM!!!!!!

Idadho

Yes, Dean, That innocent mentally disabled suspect killer Tueller Drill.
Glad to see this was one of the rare times when the Tueller Drill concept was appropriate.
Killing an old man with a plastic crucifix and Alzheimer’s Disease is not. They need to finish teaching recognizing the situation before approaching the subject when they teach the Tueller Drill.