On the evening of August 1, 2002, Melissa Jayne Schmidt, a 35-year-old White/Caucasian female police officer with the Minneapolis Police Department, responded to a call about a woman with a gun at a public housing complex. Officer Schmidt and her partner met the 60-year-old female suspect, Martha Donald, at the Horn Towers. After a preliminary search of Donald and her vehicle yielded bullets but no firearm, the suspect requested to use the restroom.
Officer Schmidt escorted Donald to a
public restroom in the lobby of the building. While inside, Donald produced a handgun that she had concealed and opened fire, striking Officer Schmidt in the abdomen, below her protective vest. Despite being mortally wounded, Officer Schmidt was able to return fire and fatally wound the suspect.
Officer Schmidt, a United States Marine Corps veteran who had served with the Minneapolis Police Department for over six years, was transported to the Hennepin County Medical Center where she later died from her injuries. The suspect, Martha Donald, was also pronounced dead at the hospital. As the sole suspect was killed during the incident, no arrests were made in connection with Officer Schmidt's death.
