STILLWATER, N.J. — An off-duty longtime Stillwater township police officer died yesterday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.
Sgt. John Schetting, 45, a township police officer for 13 years, shot himself at his home on Old Schoolhouse Road with a handgun, Sussex County Prosecutor David Weaver said.
Police responding to a 911 hang-up call from Schetting's home found the officer outside the home in an unresponsive condition from a single gunshot wound, and a handgun was recovered at the scene, Weaver said. An initial investigation has determined there is no evidence of third-party involvement or foul play, Weaver said.
Schetting was transported to Morristown Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The investigation is continuing, and an autopsy was expected to have been conducted last night by the Sussex County medical examiner.
No reason for the shooting was given, no further information was released, and the prosecutor could not be reached for further comment.
Schetting, a married father of two young sons, was a well-known figure in the rural township of 4,385 residents.
"Good kid, good guy, well liked in town," said Stillwater Township Committeeman Al Fuoco.
Earlier this decade, after Stillwater's former police chief had retired, the township grappled for a few years with whether to disband its small police force or keep it and hire a new chief. Voters decided in a referendum to keep the squad. Throughout it all, Schetting remained a stalwart officer, Fuoco said.
"For all the years the police department had no leadership, John was a leader. Whatever was there was held together by John Schetting. It gave the town a chance to sort it out, and we built a good department," Fuoco said. "He did a hell of a job for this township, and it's a big loss for the town."
In 2004, John Schetting was among a group of police officers honored by MADD's Sussex County chapter for issuing the most DWI citations in their jurisdictions.
The death of Schetting, who is the brother of Sparta police officer Joseph Schetting, also shocked the Sussex County law enforcement community.
Jim Lockwood may be reached at jlockwood@starledger.com or (973) 383-0516.
Infobox: "Good kid, good guy, well liked in town." --AL FUOCO, Stillwater Township committeeman
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