REED SPRINGS, MO – The November shooting death of a man in Reed Springs has been ruled justified by prosecutors after an investigation by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. According to reports, Stone County deputies accused Michael A. Ruhde, 33, of violently invading a man’s residence before the homeowner opened fire, killing Ruhde.
The investigation was handed over to nearby Greene County, and the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office made the determination. According to the prosecutor’s report, the shooter, who was not named in the report because he was not charged with a crime, acted in self-defense after giving Ruhde multiple warnings.
The report noted that Ruhde, who was reportedly under the influence of methamphetamine, was acting erratically, incoherently, and violently on the homeowner’s driveway, scaring the family. The shooter’s wife was on the line with 911 dispatchers during the course of the incident.
“It is clear from the evidence that (victim) reasonably believed force was necessary to protect himself and his family against death, serious physical injury, and commission of the forcible felonies of assault and/or burglary,” Patterson said in his report.
Ruhde’s wife, Nathalie Lazart, told the News-Leader before the investigation had concluded that her husband was suffering from depression and anxiety, didn’t have a phone, and may have been seeking help before the deadly encounter.
“He wouldn’t just walk into someone’s home,” said Lazart, who had three children with Ruhde.