Briefs: The Aftermath of the Highlands Shooting

On March 1st, and active shooting towards Highlands Elementary School was occurred risking the lives of students and officers at the scene. The officer’s course of action was to do whatever they could to stop the shots caused by Dylan Ruffin and to eliminate the danger of students and local citizens.  

Officers then began ordering Ruffin to come out of the house with his hands up. Soon thereafter, Ruffin stepped out of the front door and pointed a handgun with an extended magazine towards multiple officers, two Mission and one fairway officer then fired their weapons at Ruffin. He was hit and was taken into custody.

At the scene, the three officers used their force on Ruffin, injuring him when exiting his mother’s front door. The handgun he pointed at them was equipped with ready to shoot bullets. It is justified that the three officers who controlled the scene are pursued with no criminal charges because of the clearly justified instance of the scene.

Each officer who fired shots believed their life was in danger and fired their weapons to protect themselves and other individuals in the immediate area. Ruffin was treated and released to the jail while he awaits the case running against him.

Ruffin’s first appearance in court was on April 10th, 2019. They indicated details during the case including the assertion that Ruffin had indicated in the past that he had envisioned getting into a gunfight with police so that they would kill him. Facts from the DA’s officer on April 19th stated many aspects of the case and resulted to police having justice for their deadly force due to Ruffin’s source of action when fighting the police.

Officers found what appeared to be bullet holes on the exterior of Ruffin’s home, facing Highland Elementary School.  With a search warrant for the home, officers also saw multiple bullet holes in a bedroom in the direction of Highlands.

At the time that the shooting occurred, police were in the process of trying to get Ruffin outside to detain him. Police were authorized to be at the scene and had more than enough probable cause to arrest Dylan Ruffin.