Sharpshooting Police Officer Saves Five Hostages

Salisbury, NC — A sharpshooting police officer saved five hostages at a Harris Teeter in Salisbury.

“Good for him. They were lucky to have him, man. For sure,” said Stephen Mull.

Mull is a Marine Veteran who served in the first recon battalion. As a civilian contractor, he trained people in marksmanship.

“Typically, for every live shot you fire you have pulled the trigger dry 50 Times,” said Mull. “It’s all about bone support, trigger control, breathing, sight alignment, sight picture. Those are all just fundamentals of marksmanship.”

Police say Sgt. Daniel Lancaster’s eyes and sniper rifle were on Cody Schimmels inside the Harris Teeter on West Jake Alexander Blvd. at 11:30 Thursday night.

Officers say Schimmels was holding four employees and one of their spouses at gunpoint, demanding money from the safe.

Negotiators were trying to talk him out.

“While there was some negotiating going on, the suspect was escalating his behavior,” said Salisbury Police Chief Jerry Stokes. “He was pointing the weapon at one of the hostages. “

That’s when police say Sgt. Lancaster fired. The bullet flew through a glass door and hit Schimmels, saving the hostages.
Schimmels was in critical, unstable condition in a Winston-Salem hospital at last check.

A warrant charges him with attempted armed robbery. More charges are pending as police gather more information on the case and his medical recovery.

“I’m assuming that if he was in the parking lot, and he took a shot, he was probably 100 or 200 yards max out,” said Mull. “Anybody who has had any training will understand that is a pretty easy shot, or a comfortable shot, to take where you’re not worried about hitting somebody else.”

Schimmels is 30 years old, from Salisbury.
Sgt. Lancaster has been with Salisbury Police Department since 2009. He is part of the special response team. He is on desk duty while the State Bureau of Investigators and the District Attorney determine if the shooting was justified.