In the early evening of January 24, 1985, a domestic dispute in Tacoma, Washington, escalated into a tragedy that would claim multiple lives, including that of 33-year-old White / Caucasian male Craig Nollmeyer. A patrol officer with the Tacoma Police Department for three years, Nollmeyer was responding to a domestic violence call at a residence on North Prospect Street.
The situation had already turned violent before law enforcement arrived.
The suspect, 35-year-old Kenneth Schrader, had attacked his wife and 12-year-old stepson. After slashing the boy in the head with a knife, Schrader fatally shot his wife. The injured boy fled to a neighbor's house for safety. Schrader followed, forcing his way into the neighboring home where he shot and wounded a 23-year-old female resident who was trying to protect the boy and two other people in a bathroom.
Upon arriving at the scene around 6:30 p.m., Officer Nollmeyer took a tactical position across the street to await backup. From inside his house, Schrader, armed with a. 44 caliber handgun and a box of ammunition, began firing at the responding officers. In the exchange of gunfire, a shot from Schrader's weapon struck Officer Nollmeyer in the head, killing him instantly.
Following the shooting, other officers on the scene returned fire, striking Schrader multiple times. He survived his injuries and was subsequently apprehended. After a thorough investigation and trial, Kenneth Schrader was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
