http://www.bonnercountydailybee.com/articles/2005/09/16/news/news01.txt
Clark Fork shooting victim identified
Posted: Friday, Sep 16, 2005 - 08:17:45 am PDT
By KEITH KINNAIRD
News editor
Schmidt was a registered sex offender
SANDPOINT -- Bonner County Sheriff's officials released the name of a Clark Fork man who was shot to death after allegedly attacking a woman earlier this week.
Christopher Michael Schmidt, 42, died after being shot once in the chest with a .380-caliber handgun, according to Sheriff's Capt. John Valdez.
The shooting occurred shortly after 9 p.m. outside Schmidt's home in the 200 block of East Mountain View Road, which is north of Clark Fork.
Schmidt is registered in Idaho as a sex offender, although authorities do not believe the listing was a factor in his slaying. Detectives said the killing appears to have been done in self-defense.
Valdez said the name of the 34-year-old woman who shot Schmidt is not being released.
"She's pretty distraught about it," said Valdez, who does not expect the woman to be charged with a crime.
Valdez said Schmidt, who knew the woman when they worked together, passed by the woman's home at about 5 p.m. on the day of the shooting and the two made small talk. Schmidt left, but returned several hours later.
The woman and her roommate saw the man behind a bush and Schmidt apparently asked for a ride home because his truck had broken down. Valdez said the woman reluctantly agreed, but she took a handgun with her for protection.
The pair arrived at Schmidt's home, where he reportedly attacked her. Valdez said Schmidt grabbed the woman by the throat, and tried to take her keys and force her out of the truck's cab.
"It got pretty vicious and pretty violent," Valdez said of the struggle, which ended with the peal of the gunshot.
Schmidt was inside the truck when he was shot, according to a Clark Fork Valley fireman who responded to the scene.
"The driver's door was open, the passenger door was shut and there was a man slouched over. It just looked like he nodded off," said Frank Holbrook, who tried to revive Schmidt with CPR.
Schmidt was taken by Clark Fork Valley Ambulance to Clark Fork Junior/Senior High School, where a landing zone was established for a Northwest MedStar air ambulance.
Valdez said the air ambulance crew pronounced Schmidt dead. An autopsy showed the bullet nicked Schmidt's heart. It also showed Schmidt had a blood alcohol level of 0.26, which is more than three times the legal limit to drive.
Schmidt has virtually no record in Bonner County. Valdez said Schmidt has prior out-of-state arrests for rape, robbery and burglary. Idaho's sex offender registry indicates Schmidt was convicted of "assault to commit rape" in Sonoma County, Calif., in 1989.
Schmidt apparently made another bad decision on Tuesday night.
"I don't know what he was thinking," Valdez said. "Obviously he made a big mistake."
Clark Fork shooting victim identified
Posted: Friday, Sep 16, 2005 - 08:17:45 am PDT
By KEITH KINNAIRD
News editor
Schmidt was a registered sex offender
SANDPOINT -- Bonner County Sheriff's officials released the name of a Clark Fork man who was shot to death after allegedly attacking a woman earlier this week.
Christopher Michael Schmidt, 42, died after being shot once in the chest with a .380-caliber handgun, according to Sheriff's Capt. John Valdez.
The shooting occurred shortly after 9 p.m. outside Schmidt's home in the 200 block of East Mountain View Road, which is north of Clark Fork.
Schmidt is registered in Idaho as a sex offender, although authorities do not believe the listing was a factor in his slaying. Detectives said the killing appears to have been done in self-defense.
Valdez said the name of the 34-year-old woman who shot Schmidt is not being released.
"She's pretty distraught about it," said Valdez, who does not expect the woman to be charged with a crime.
Valdez said Schmidt, who knew the woman when they worked together, passed by the woman's home at about 5 p.m. on the day of the shooting and the two made small talk. Schmidt left, but returned several hours later.
The woman and her roommate saw the man behind a bush and Schmidt apparently asked for a ride home because his truck had broken down. Valdez said the woman reluctantly agreed, but she took a handgun with her for protection.
The pair arrived at Schmidt's home, where he reportedly attacked her. Valdez said Schmidt grabbed the woman by the throat, and tried to take her keys and force her out of the truck's cab.
"It got pretty vicious and pretty violent," Valdez said of the struggle, which ended with the peal of the gunshot.
Schmidt was inside the truck when he was shot, according to a Clark Fork Valley fireman who responded to the scene.
"The driver's door was open, the passenger door was shut and there was a man slouched over. It just looked like he nodded off," said Frank Holbrook, who tried to revive Schmidt with CPR.
Schmidt was taken by Clark Fork Valley Ambulance to Clark Fork Junior/Senior High School, where a landing zone was established for a Northwest MedStar air ambulance.
Valdez said the air ambulance crew pronounced Schmidt dead. An autopsy showed the bullet nicked Schmidt's heart. It also showed Schmidt had a blood alcohol level of 0.26, which is more than three times the legal limit to drive.
Schmidt has virtually no record in Bonner County. Valdez said Schmidt has prior out-of-state arrests for rape, robbery and burglary. Idaho's sex offender registry indicates Schmidt was convicted of "assault to commit rape" in Sonoma County, Calif., in 1989.
Schmidt apparently made another bad decision on Tuesday night.
"I don't know what he was thinking," Valdez said. "Obviously he made a big mistake."
I read it thru several times, and couldn't find any trace of anti-gun bias... Me likes 
