Shot Indiana Officer Succumbs to Wounds

Sept. 8, 2014
Merrillville Officer Nickolaus Schultz, who was shot Friday, was taken off life-support on Sunday.

A Merrillville police officer who was shot Friday night by a man who later committed suicide has died, officials said Sunday.

Nickolaus Schultz, 24, was taken off life-support and pronounced dead at 9:47 a.m. on Sunday at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, said Robert Byrd, spokesman for Northwest Indiana Major Crimes Task Force.

Schultz, a Lowell, Ind., resident, had been transported in critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn with a single gunshot wound to the head.

The incident started about 10:45 p.m. Friday when a resident of the town homes just south of U.S. Route 30 and west of Broadway Avenue called 911 to report a man nearby who wasn't supposed to be there, police said.

According to Northwest Indiana Major Crimes Task Force officials, police were sent to the Temple Lake Condominiums, in the 8200 block of Lincoln Circle, after receiving an "unwanted party" call. A man had moved back into a condominium from which he had been evicted in July, and shots were fired as police conducted an investigation after arriving at the scene.

The 33-year-old man, who police said was wearing bullet-resistant body armor, and officers exchanged shots, according to officials, and the officer was injured. The 33-year-old man was identified by the Lake County coroner's office as Michael Hrnciar, of the 8200 block of Lincoln Circle. The coroner's office said Hrnciar committed suicide.

Schultz was an organ donor, Byrd said, adding that the Indiana State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police is working with the Merrillville Police Department to prepare for the funeral for Schultz, who had joined the department in July of 2013.

Schultz studied criminal justice/sociology at Franklin College, a small liberal arts school about 20 miles south of Indianapolis and graduated two months earlier. While at Franklin, Schultz was a three-year starter on the college football team, said Franklin Head Football Coach Mike Leonard.

While a senior he served as captain of the team and was also named to the Division III All-American team by d3football.com.

"He was a leader and he was definitely the leader by example," said Leonard, who is in his 12th year as coach. "He was unselfish, hard-working and didn't need recognition, that was Nick's personality."

Schultz played left guard for three years on the offensive line and Leonard believes that Schultz knew early on that he wanted to be a police officer.

The same qualities that made Schultz, who was known as "Nick" a star offensive line player also helped make him a good police officer. Leonard said he was not surprised to hear that Schultz was the first officer to respond to Friday's incident.

"Nick was on the front-line on the football field, he was in the trenches, doing the grunt work no one wants to do," said Leonard. "As a police officer I think that mentality fit perfectly. I knew Nick was on the front-line when he was the first in the door."

Before their Saturday game Leonard was told that Schultz was in grave condition and had been given erroneous information that Schultz had died on Saturday. As a tribute he had placed a jersey on the bench in his honor through out the game where the offensive line players rest on the sidelines.

He debated whether or not to share the news with his current team but because many of his current players had been on the team with Schultz he decided to tell them and they prayed together. Then he was told that Schultz was still alive.

While giving his talk, Leonard clutched the No. 79 jersey, which was Schultz' number. Then he walked along the track ringing the football field, between his players and the stands, and showed off No. 79.

He said he was disappointed to hear that Schultz had died Sunday.

"We will miss him greatly," said Leonard. "It's a tragedy but we believe something good is going to happen based on how he led his life."

Copyright 2014 Chicago Tribune

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

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