In the early morning hours of August 28, 2013, a dedicated Baltimore County police officer, Jason Schneider, a 36-year-old male, tragically lost his life in the line of duty. A 13-year veteran of the force and a former U.S. Marine, he was part of a tactical unit serving a search warrant at a home in Catonsville, Maryland. The warrant was connected to a recent shooting in the area.
As the team entered the residence, they encountered several individuals who attempted to flee.
While pursuing a subject toward the back of the house, Officer Schneider was ambushed by another man, 25-year-old Tevon Smith, who opened fire. Officer Schneider was struck multiple times. Despite being mortally wounded, he heroically returned fire, striking and killing Smith. Officer Schneider was wearing a bulletproof vest, which stopped several rounds, but one bullet tragically found a gap under his vest. He was rushed to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
Following the incident, two juveniles who were in the house at the time of the shooting were charged with weapons violations. One of the juveniles, who was the original subject of the search warrant, went to trial in May 2014 and was found not guilty. In October of that same year, the other individual, the first subject's cousin, was sentenced to 18 months. Officer Schneider was survived by his wife and two children.
