On a cold February evening in 2001, a noise complaint shattered the quiet of a Centreville, Maryland neighborhood and ended the lives of two dedicated law enforcement officers. Centreville Police Officer Michael Scott Nickerson, a 24-year-old male, and Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Deputy Jason Schwenz responded to a call at a mobile home on Hammond Street on February 13th.
The two officers, accompanied by a state trooper, were met with a warning from the male occupant not to enter, or they would be harmed.
Despite the threat, the officers proceeded to enter a screened-in porch of the residence. As they opened the door to the home, the man inside opened fire with a shotgun, striking both Officer Nickerson and Deputy Schwenz. The state trooper bravely pulled his fallen comrade, Officer Nickerson, from the porch and was attempting to render aid when he was attacked by the gunman. The trooper managed to overpower his assailant and place him under arrest. Officer Nickerson was rushed to a trauma center, but tragically succumbed to his injuries about an hour later. Deputy Schwenz also died from his wounds.
The man responsible for the deadly shooting was taken into custody at the scene. He was subsequently tried and, on May 24, 2002, found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder for his attack on the state trooper. The court sentenced him to death for the murders and life without parole for the attempted murder. However, the convicted killer would not face his sentence, as he died in prison on November 17, 2002. The community was left to mourn the loss of two brave officers, with Officer Nickerson being the first from the Centreville Police Department to be killed in the line of duty.
