Merrillville Officer's Killer Was In Financial Trouble, But Had No Criminal Record
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Authorities in northwest Indiana said they have found no reason to explain why a man shot and killed Merrillville Police Officer Nickolaus Schultz last week as police were investigating his recent eviction.
WBBM Newsradio's Dave Berner reports Schultz died Sunday, a day after he was shot in the head while responding to a call from management at the Temple Lake Condominiums.
Police said 33-year-old Michael Hrnciar had broken into the condo from which he had been evicted, and then ambushed police officers who arrived at the scene and shot Schultz. Hrnciar then committed suicide.
Robert Byrd, spokesman for the Northwest Indiana Major Crimes Task Force, said their investigation found nothing in Hrnciar's past that would seem to have led to such violent behavior.
"You don't know what is happening in a person's life that might trigger this type of event. He has no prior criminal history, no issues at the job, no indicators whatsoever that would show that he would engage in a deadly gun battle with police," Byrd said.
Hrnciar was single and had no children, but apparently had been suffering financial problems.
Even with the final report on the shooting, Byrd said the tragedy will not go away.
"It's troubling for all of law enforcement when you lose its own officer, and in particular here in northwest Indiana; we lost two officers in two months," he said.
Gary Police Officer Jeff Westerfield was shot and killed in the driver seat of his patrol car two months ago. Carl Blount, 26, faces one count of murder in Westerfield's death. Authorities have not explained Blount's motive, other than to say he is a violent criminal with a lengthy record.
