ATWATER -- Paul Schmidt has been named interim police chief in Atwater while his father, Reed Schmidt, recovers from injuries he suffered last week in an on-duty altercation with an Atwater man.
This won't be the first time Paul Schmidt has filled in for his father as police chief. He did the same task in 2004 when Reed Schmidt spent a year in Iraq in 2004 working for a private company as a police trainer.
Reed Schmidt returned from that venture unharmed.
On Nov. 14, Schmidt, 56, suffered a serious injury to his right eye that required exploratory surgery on Friday. He is currently recovering at home in Atwater and is expected to receive additional treatment this week, according to his wife, Patty. It's not known yet if he'll lose vision in the eye, she said. Schmidt's eyeball was ruptured and a muscle severed, she said.
The suspect in the incident, 23-year-old Brian R. Detlefsen, was shot in the abdomen when the two allegedly scuffled on a city street. Detlefsen is reported to have rammed Schmidt's police squad car repeatedly and allegedly began striking Schmidt as he got out of the vehicle. Detlefsen was arrested on second-degree assault, but formal charges are pending.
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Patty Schmidt said her husband had never fired his weapon at a suspect in his nearly 30-year law enforcement career.
He has been Atwater's chief of police for the last decade.
Detlefsen is receiving treatment at Hennepin County Medical Center. He is listed in critical but stable condition Monday afternoon, according to hospital personnel.
Mayor Bruce Baker said the City Council placed Reed Schmidt on administrative leave. He said the length of the leave is an "open book" at this time and will depend on the veteran police officer's health and recovery, as well as the investigation by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Department.
Paul Schmidt had been working alongside his father as a part-time police officer in Atwater in recent years, putting in about 20 hours a week.
Baker said the City Council agreed Wednesday to appoint Paul Schmidt as interim police chief on a full-time basis. A decision to add a part-time officer to assist him won't be made until the Dec. 6 City Council meeting, Baker said.
"It's been quiet in town lately," said Paul Schmidt, who will receive back-up coverage from the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Department.
Baker said an appraisal of the damaged squad car hasn't been completed yet. The vehicle was just two months old and had about 4,000 miles on it.
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Schmidt's K-9 partner, Max, was in the vehicle and injured. The 9-year-old Australian shepherd police dog was treated for a sprained leg.
The incident has made the community feel "a little bit uneasy," Baker said. He said there's been talk of bringing in a speaker or counselor to conduct a forum and meet with residents, especially parents, to discuss fears the incident has generated.
Official details about the incident are sketchy. Kandiyohi County Sheriff Dan Hartog has said little about the incident pending further investigation. He told the Tribune last week that Reed Schmidt would be interviewed sometime this week.
Patty Schmidt said being married to a police officer always carries a risk. "He's alive, and that's the main thing," she said. Reed and Patty Schmidt will be celebrate their 22nd wedding anniversary on Thanksgiving.
