Full Notification

NEWS RELEASE
Release Date: October 31, 2016
Modesto Police Department
Media Relations Unit
Office of the Chief of Police
600 10th Street, Modesto, CA 95354
Author: Heather Graves

Modesto, CA – The man suspected of terrorizing a quiet neighborhood last week has died at a local hospital.

More than a half dozen calls came into the 9-1-1 emergency line at about 10:20 p.m. last Monday night reporting a man, who was believed to be under the influence, forced his way into residences on Grantland Court. As officers arrived in the area, they were updated with information that the suspect had forced his way inside a residence and the homeowner and his wife had barricaded themselves in a locked room fearing for their safety.

Officers quickly responded to the home and surrounded the residence. Due to the reported bizarre behavior of the suspect and reports that he may be under the influence, emergency medical crews were requested to stage close by. As the officers announced their presence and began to order the suspect to surrender, the suspect ran out the front door and tackled one of the officers, taking the officer to the ground.

The suspect continued to violently thrash about, as the officers attempted to restrain him. In addition to physical control holds, officers used beanbag rounds and a taser, before he was handcuffed.

As emergency medical staff were preparing to transport the suspect, he suffered a medical emergency. CPR was provided immediately by on scene medical staff and the suspect was rushed to a local hospital. On Thursday, detectives were notified that the suspect, identified as 33-year-old Garrett Schmidt, had passed away. His cause of death has yet to be determined.

Due to the suspect being in custody when he suffered a medical emergency, this case is being treated as an officer-involved critical incident; therefore comprehensive criminal and administrative investigations have been launched.

The involved personnel have been identified as 19 year veteran Alex Bettis, 8 year veteran Michael Pershall, 8 year veteran Joseph Lamantia, 3 year veteran Tyler Caldwell, 3 year veteran Darien Wilson, and 2 year veteran Joshua Shackelford. The officers did not suffer any major injuries and were placed on paid administrative leave, which is a standard procedure for an officer-involved critical incident investigation.

If you have any information regarding criminal activity, please call Crime Stoppers at (209) 521-4636. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Tipsters may also text information to Crime Stoppers at 274637. Just type “TIP704” along with your message.

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