COP ERIC SCHMITZ SHOOTS, KILLS TROUBLED SON

THEY were the perfect family, that's what everyone said.  Lt. Eric Schmitz, 56, a veteran cop with the Hatfield Township police force, was regarded by peers and friends as the perfect cop and the perfect father.  Teachers at North Penn High School praised his son Stephen, 17, as a caring and intelligent student. The perfect family, however, was ripped apart in tragic circumstances this week when Eric Schmitz shot and killed his youngest child during a stormy confrontation.
Stephen Schmitz had a history of mental health issues and apparently attacked his father in a fit of rage using a hunting knife.  Eric Schmitz
shot twice at Stephen, hitting him both times in the chest.
DA Risa Vetri Ferman did not offer any explanation of what sparked the clash between father and son but said that detectives were currently working to obtain Stephen’s medical records.
The shooting came just one day after Stephen was released from the Horsham clinic, a local mental health center.  Stephen was committed involuntarily for 13 days following an altercation at his home. Eric had summoned police to the home when Stephen had threatened suicide. It wasn’t the first time cops were called to the Schmitz household. On April 30, cops responded to a call from Eric Schmitz when Stephen had become “enraged” according to Ferman. News of Stephen’s death has left the local community devastated.
Even those aware of Stephen’s medical condition were shocked at the circumstances of his death. School principal Burt Hynes said Stephen was about to embark in a career as a filmmaker – and despite his shy disposition, was an extremely talented singer with a natural gift for performing. Kyle Berger, Stephen’s teacher, spoke of the last time he spoke to his student:  "Everything seemed normal," he said.  "It doesn't seem possible that it would be the last time I talked to him."