Overview
- Justin Carl Schmidt, 36, died after exchanging gunfire with officers during a barricade that lasted more than an hour at an apartment near 43rd Avenue and Medlock Drive early March 15.
- Officers responding around 6 a.m. to a reported fight found a woman and young child locked behind a back‑patio gate and used a Halligan tool to free them unharmed.
- Police said Schmidt cocked a gun, ignored commands, fired multiple rounds from inside the unit, and shot down a police drone with a shotgun.
- Officers returned fire, a second drone located Schmidt inside with a gunshot injury, and he was pronounced dead at the scene with no other injuries reported.
- Detectives are investigating the incident as domestic violence, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety is leading the independent investigation.