OLD BRIDGE – The wife of a suicidal man who was killed by police in his home after threatening his family and officers with a knife is suing the police claiming excessive force was used in the fatal incident.
Talbot Schroeder, 75, was shot by police while they were responding to a domestic violence report at 40 Cedar Place just before 6 p.m. on Jan. 14, 2015. Schroeder had allegedly cut a family member and continued to threaten his relatives with the knife when two officers arrived and urged the man to put down the weapon.
Schroeder refused and Officer Nicholas Schulmeister shot the distraught man one time.
The lawsuit, which was filed last month in Middlesex County Superior Court, says that Schroeder’s wife, Noreen, had told police that the man was suicidal and had already attempted to kill himself. It claims that within one minute of entering the home, Schroader was shot.
The wrongful death suit claims that Schulmeister and Officer Keith Symanski did not handle the situation properly in accordance with police policy and procedures, which led to the “unnecessary shooting.”
Schroeder was pronounced dead at the scene.
A report by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office 11 months later cleared Schulmeister in the incident, saying the use of force was justified. The report said Schroeder repeatedly ignored commands to drop the knife, continued to threaten his family and police and walked toward one of the officers with the knife raised.
Schroeder had already proved a willingness to use the knife by slitting his own wrists and stabbing himself in the stomach, according to the report.
The suit names the township, its police department and Police Chief William Volkert, claiming that the officers were not trained properly and were poor hires.
The township and attorney for Schroeder’s wife could not be reached for comment.
Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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