PCSO allowed him to leave to keep suspect, officers safe

A Hager City man has been charged with two felonies stemming from an hours-long standoff with law enforcement in April on a country road in the town of Trenton. Tracy Lee Schmidt, 47, posted a $10,000 signature bond Sept. 1 on felony vehicle operator flee/elude officer, felony intentionally point firearm at law enforcement officer and operate without valid license (second within three years) charges. If convicted, he faces up to six years in prison and/or fines up to $10,000. According to the complaint: At about 10:50 p.m. April 26, a Pierce County patrol officer attempted a traffic stop on County Road K on a 2000 Chevrolet Suburban with expired tabs. As the officer followed the vehicle north on County Road K (after cross- ing Highway 35), the vehicle took off, reaching more than 75 mph. The officer turned on his lights and siren just south of 285th Avenue, but the vehicle kept going.

The squad followed the suspect through a series of country roads, turning east on 830th Street reaching speeds of 85 mph. The Suburban blew through a stop sign at 250th Avenue and County Road VV, continuing southbound on County Road VV before getting onto 790th Street back to VV heading south. By the time the vehicle reached the intersection of Highway 35 and County Road K, speeds had reached 110 mph. The Suburban turned north onto County Road O, down which another deputy was waiting to set up spike strips. A sergeant deployed the spike strips just south of the County Road O/480th Avenue intersection, then joined the chase along with two other squads. The vehicle began slowing down as the tires deflated. As the vehicle continued on 480th Avenue to 810th Street, heavy smoke was pouring out of it. Officers attempted to perform a moving road block, but the Suburban got around it, almost striking a squad car. The driver kept driving in the opposite lane around blind corners and hills.

The Suburban blew another stop sign and turned southbound onto County Road K. The vehicle,, which was driving on its rims, slowly came to a stop just south of 360th Avenue in Trenton Township near N3540 County Road K. The driver, identified as Schmidt, pointed a pistol at a deputy as the deputy opened his driver’s door and ordered him out of the vehicle. When told to drop the weapon, he instead held it towards his own head. The officer retreated behind a squad for cover.

Officers made contact with Schmidt by phone around 11:18 p.m. to try negotiating a peaceful end to the traffic stop. Schmidt made comments about suicide by cop and told police he couldn’t get out of the car. He spoke with the officer for about an hour about digging a hole with no way out. He was apologetic about the situation, but felt suicide was his only way out; he didn’t want to go to jail. When asked what would happen if deputies approached his vehicle, he told them they wouldn’t like the mess they’d find.

While Schmidt took a break to think, officers ordered the road closed north of the site and told area residents to stay in their homes. The officer spoke with Schmidt again from 12:34 a.m. to 2:15 a.m., during which time an investigator and Sheriff Nancy Hove responded to the scene to assist with negotiations. Staff from Northwest Connections spoke with Schmidt from 3:14 a.m. to 9:34 a.m., during which time Schmidt at times seemed ready to surrender. But when an officer approached the vehicle, he’d put the gun under his chin again and shake his head no. Northwest Connections eventually disconnected contact because a supervisor didn’t want his employees to possibly hear Schmidt shoot himself.

Hove and an officer continued negotiations with Schmidt for another two hours. It was determined that the sheriff’s office could no longer safely negotiate for Schmidt’s surrender, for Schmidt’s safety and officers’ safety. A solution was finally reached that allowed Schmidt’s friend to come pick him up and take him to go get help, with the stipulation that the gun be left on the ground outside of the vehicle. Schmidt agreed to the plan and surrendered to his friend while officers walked him through the process. Once he left the scene, police retrieved the pistol and towed the vehicle.

Schmidt is scheduled to appear in Pierce County Circuit Court at 2:45 p.m. Oct. 4 for a status conference. He is also facing speeding (45 mph+), fail/stop at a stop sign and non-registration of vehicle/auto citations.