A man, suspected of stabbing another man who had challenged him about not wearing a mask at a store, was fatally shot by?Michigan sheriff's deputy on Tuesday, police said.?
The shooting occurred in Eaton County, southwest of Lansing, about 30 minutes after the stabbing at a Quality Dairy store, state police Lt. Brian Oleksyk told news agency AP.
A sheriff's deputy spotted the man's vehicle in a residential neighbourhood and shot him when he got out of his car and tried to attack her, Oleksyk said.
¡°Drop the weapon! Drop the weapon!¡± the officer, a 22-year veteran, demanded, according to neighbourhood security video released by police.
The man, Sean Ruis, was holding a screwdriver and knives, Eaton County Sheriff Tom Reich said.
¡°It's very unfortunate she had to use her weapon, but she had to save her life,¡± Reich said. ¡°She had to use deadly force. She did it properly.¡± Ruis, 43, of Grand Ledge, who worked at the Michigan Department of Transportation, died at a hospital.
He was suspected of stabbing a 77-year-old man inside the store when he was confronted about not wearing a mask, Oleksyk said.
The stabbing victim was in stable condition at a hospital. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has ordered people to wear masks in stores to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus.
¡°The goal here is to be safe. We all have to do our part so this doesn't spread,¡± Reich said.
The decision about whether to wear a mask in public for some has become a political statement, and there have been other violent encounters. In May, a security guard at a Family Dollar store in Flint was fatally shot after denying entry to a customer without a mask.
Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, a Republican, said masks are important. But he also urged the general public not to confront people over a lack of a mask.
¡°There is no reason to risk your health or your life over the debate of wearing masks in public,¡± Shirkey said.