Harry Rutledge (portrayed by Daniel Pilon) is a United States senator in the action/black comedy film Shoot 'Em Up. The senator lobbies for massive gun-control bills that could threaten arms manufacturers across the US and is campaigning to become the next president. However, Rutledge is terminally ill and requires a bone marrow transplant from a compatible donor if he is to live to become president. He has his men set up a makeshift "baby factory" and donates his sperm to several women in order to sire a child with compatible bone marrow so that he can be cured.
Rutledge's maternity lab is destroyed by Karl Hertz and his group of assassins, killing all of the mothers, save for one who escapes and survives long enough to give birth. The baby falls into the hands of the ex-special force Mr. Smith who struggles to protect the child whilst being pursued by Hertz. After leaving the baby with prostitute Donna Quintano and sending the pair away to parts unknown, Smith later meets with Rutledge, having deduced why Hertz is after the baby and tries to make a deal with the senator.
Death[]
Aboard the senator's plane, Smith discovers that Rutledge has made a deal with the gunsmith Hammerson. He puts a gun to the senator's head and takes him down to the plane's hold, then concludes that if Rutledge were to be assassinated, his deal with Hammerson will be voided and the American people will likely rally to support the senator's anti-gun campaign. Rutledge accepts his fate believing that his death might allow him to regain some honour and Smith shoots him.