James L. Schmit

Detroit Police Department — Detroit, MI

Felonious

End of Watch October 17, 1988

Age 41

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

The Vigil Panel 133 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 249

Incident

Lieutenant James Schmit and Police Officer Frank Walls were shot and killed while they and several other officers attempted to remove a mentally disturbed man from his apartment at 4130 Springle Avenue. At 7:30 a.m., officers arrived at the apartment after receiving reports of a disturbance. Officers evacuated all tenants when it was revealed that the subject had soaked his unit with gasoline. At 9:30 a.m., while attempting to talk to the subject, the man opened fire through the front door with a 30-30 rifle, mortally wounding Lieutenant Schmit, who was located outside. Lieutenant Schmit was transported to Samaritan Health Center, where he succumbed to his wounds after five hours of surgery. Following a six-hour siege, the suspect then shot and killed Officer Walls as he led a special operations team into the apartment during the standoff. The entry team had secured the lower level of the apartment, and as Officer Walls moved to the stairs, he was shot and killed. Other officers shot and killed the suspect. Lieutenant Schmit had served with the Detroit Police Department for 20 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MI-E4B07AA3
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

20 years. You could have gone home.
Lieutenant Schmit gave the Detroit Police Department 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Schmit.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Detroit Police Department

Location Detroit, MI

Platform Identity detpd.wayne.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 17, 1988

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

Age 41

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle; .30-.30

Offender Shot and killed

Lieutenant James L. Schmit is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MI, 426 of 718 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 59.3% of this state's fallen. That is 5.1 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Detroit Police Department, 177 of 250 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 70.8% of this agency's fallen.

Detroit Police Department

177

of 250 officers

70.8% Felonious

MI — Statewide

426

of 718 officers

59.3% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious