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Son of Hatfield Township Cop Slain in Towamencin Home

Authorities said a preliminary investigation found that Lt. Eric Schmitz had shot his 17-year-old son in self-defense.

The 17-year-old son of a Hatfield Township police officer was killed at his home in Towamencin around 3 p.m. Wednesday when his father allegedly shot him in self defense, the Montgomery County District Attorney's office said in a statement.

Authorities said a preliminary investigation found that Lieutenant Eric B. Schmitz shot his son when the son "attacked [Schmitz] with a large, fixed blade hunting knife inside the residence."

The father was said to be recovering from injuries at an unspecified local hospital, where he was "cooperating with detectives."

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According to the statement, the younger Schmitz, whose name is Stephen, according to a public Facebook page created in his honor, had a recent history of erratic behavior that included suicide threats and a 13-day involuntary stay at the Horsham Clinic. Stephen's name was not released by the County DA.

Stephen was released from the clinic on Tuesday. He did attend school at North Penn Wednesday.

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According to authorities, police had been called to the home twice since April of this year due to the son's erratic behavior.

On April 30, police responded to the home because the deceased allegedly made threats to harm himself. Tensions subsided, and the elder Schmitz told police no furhter action was necessary.

On May 26, police were called a second time because Schmitz's son was threatening suicide. The father prevented his son from harming himself that day, and the teen was committed to Horsham Clinic, according to the press release by District Attorney Risa Ferman.

There were prior unconfirmed reports that Stephen Schmitz was committed to Horsham Clinic due to an alleged attack on his brother with a knife.

Stephen Schmitz attended North Penn High School, where he played on the lacrosse team with his brother, Andrew.

A memorial page for Stephen Schmitz located here had 919 members as of 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Most of the members who left messages to Stephen were not friends with him, but did know him from attending North Penn.

"i kno (sic) i dont kno (sic) you but this is all for you and R.I.P stephen and god be with u and your family," wrote Jeremy Knechel.

"God bless ♥ watch over all your friends and family, you will ALWAYS be remembered," wrote Juliana Collins.

"I never met you, but i bet you were a great kid. RIP," wrote Seth Brynien.

"stephen i didn't know you that well, but we had hungout & you were so nice. im sorry if i was ever mean to you, i take it all back. rip, you didn't deserve this," wrote Ayca Arig.

"i didnt know you but if you were anything like your sister im sure you were a great guy ... you will be missed," wrote Lindsay Waldron.

"Im all the way in Florida now, but i remember those years in Inglewood with you. I pray that you're in God's hands now watching over everyone that you ever loved. Rest in Paradise Stephen," wrote Halima Urbi.

Earlier updates as this story developed can be read below.

Update 8:49 p.m.:

The Montgomery County District Attorney's office has released the following statement:

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman and Towamencin Township Police Chief Paul T. Dickinson announce that the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and the Towamencin Township Police Department are conducting a joint investigation into the shooting death of a 17-year-old male at 102 Oxford Road, Towamencin Township, which occurred on the afternoon of June 8, 2011.This is the residence of Hatfield Township Police Lieutenant Eric B. Schmitz.  The deceased is the 17 year old son of Lt. Schmitz.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that Lt. Schmitz shot his son after the 17-year-old attacked his father with a large, fixed blade hunting knife inside the residence.  The knife has a 5-inch blade and has an overall length of 10 inches.  Lt. Schmitz has been cooperative with Detectives and is being interviewed at a local hospital where he is receiving treatment for his injuries.  

Towamencin Township police have received calls from this residence twice in the recent past.  On April 30, 2011, police were called because the 17-year-old was reportedly enraged.  There were reports that he had made vague threats to harm himself in the past.  The tensions caused by the 17-year-old subsided, and Lt. Schmitz indicated to police that he did not believe any further action was necessary.  On May 26, 2011, police were called and responded to the residence based upon a report that the 17-year-old was threatening to kill himself.  Lt. Schmitz prevented his son from harming himself on this occasion, and the teen was involuntarily committed that same day to the Horsham Clinic.  The teen remained committed at the Horsham Clinic for 13 days.  He was released on June 7, 2011.

Detectives are currently processing the scene, conducting interviews, and investigating the background and relationships of the family members and the deceased. Anyone with information about the recent behavior of the deceased, including threats made toward family members or others, is asked to contactthe Montgomery County Detective Bureau or the Towamencin Township Police Department.

Update 8:40 p.m.: A memorial page founded today for a Stephen Schmitz has almost 600 members at this hour.

Officials have yet to confirm the identity of either the victim or the alleged shooter in this case.

Update 8:35 p.m.: Authorities' statement will not come from Montco DA Risa Ferman, but another representative from the DA's office.

Update 8:15 p.m.: As media outlets continued to wait for a statement from the office of Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman, condolences and messages of support from friends began to be posted on the publicly viewable Facebook page of Drew Schmitz, a senior at North Penn High School.

Several visitors to the page identified the deceased as Drew Schmitz's brother. One visitor identified the brother's first name as "Steve."

Officials have yet to confirm the identity of either the victim or the alleged shooter in this case.

Update 8:05 p.m.: Patch and other media outlets continue to wait on a statement or press conference from local and county law enforcement officials. Please check back with Patch for continued updates to this story.

Patch is at the scene of a reported homicide at a residence near North Penn High School in Towamencin.

The street has been cordoned off and blue tarps placed along the property line of the house to obscure public view. 

The shooting was reported at about 3:20 p.m. Initial reports described a male shot in the chest. Reports that a father had shot and killed his 17-year-old son could not immediately be confirmed.

Editor Tony DiDomizio reports that the home is owned by Eric Schmitz, a Hatfield Township police lieutenant.

Sergeant John Cutrone of the Towamencin police department said all information on the situation would come from the Montgomery County District Attorney's office.

"We are not releasing any information at this time," Cutrone said to reporters at the scene.

Officials from the county coroner's office arrived at the scene at about 5:30pm. Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman was reportedly on her way to the scene as of 5:45pm.

WPVI Philadelphia reported that an argument between a father and son had ended with the fatal shooting of the son. According to unnamed sources, the station reports, the shooting was an act of self-defense.

Montgomery County detectives and Towamencin Township police on the scene appear to be focusing on the garage of the home. The victim was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene.

Please check back with Patch for more on this developing story.

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