Melissa Schmidt Scholarship and Melissa Schmidt Community Service Award

Officer Melissa Schmidt 

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End of Watch : August 1, 2002

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Minneapolis Police Department

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Officer Melissa Schmidt was shot and killed after she and her partner responded to a call shortly after 7:00 pm reporting a woman with a gun at a public housing complex.

Contact was made with the 60-year-old female suspect and while the officers were questioning her, she said she needed to go to the bathroom. Officer Schmidt escorted the woman to the public restroom in the lobby of the building. While in the restroom, the woman produced a handgun and opened fire, striking Officer Schmidt in the abdomen below her vest. Officer Schmidt was able to return fire and killed the suspect.

Officer Schmidt was a United States Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Minneapolis Police Department for over 6 years. She was assigned to the Public Housing Unit. Officer Schmidt is survived by her parents and brother.

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To honor Melissa a scholarship is given out to a female officer seeking a career or education in law enforcement. Additionally, we honor Melissa by acknowledging a female officer who encompasses demonstrable, excellent skill related to day-to-day police assignments including, but not limited to, investigative work, street activity (uniformed or plain-clothes), supervision or leadership, special assignments, decoy/string operations, and performs demonstrable skills or activities in the design, implementation and/or participation in 1) community or school projects 2) neighborhood watches, 3) town meetings, 4) cultural groups, or 5) other community related activities.