DA: Cop Shot, Killed Son In Self Defense

LANSDALE, Pa. - A Hatfield Township Police lieutenant shot and killed his 17-year-old son Wednesday, but investigators have said it was an act of self defense.

According to a joint press release from Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman’s office and Towamencin Township Police Chief Paul T. Dickinson, Hatfield Police Lt. Eric B. Schmitz shot and killed the teen after he attacked him with a large hunting knife Wednesday afternoon at their home, located at 102 Oxford Road, Towamencin Township.

Schmitz had been taken to a hospital to be treated for the undisclosed injuries he suffered during the incident, according to officials, and has been cooperative with the investigation into the deadly shooting.

The teen, Stephen Schmitz, had been released from the Horsham Clinic Tuesday after being involuntarily committed there for nearly two weeks for treatment after threatening to kill himself, according to officials. Police had been called to the residence twice since April when the teen had allegedly made threats to harm himself.

"Detectives are currently processing the scene, conducting interviews, and investigating the background and relationships of the family members and the deceased. Anyone with information about the recent behavior of the deceased, including threats made towards family members or others, is asked to contact the Montgomery County Detective Bureau or the Towamencin Township Police Department,” states the joint release from Ferman and Dickinson.

After news of the North Penn High School student’s death spread, his classmates wrote messages on a Facebook page made in his memory, which had more than 700 members Wednesday evening.

A call to the Hatfield Township Police Department seeking comment was not immediately returned Wednesday.