WAUKESHA, Wis. — A 28-year-old Waukesha father was sentenced to three years of probation after police say he held his 11-month-old daughter out of a second-story window during a domestic disturbance.
The incident began on July 18, 2024, when Waukesha police were called to a home where Schmidt was reportedly intoxicated while caring for his young daughter.
The child's mother told police she was at work when Schmidt began contacting her.
"He started texting me at work, weird things. I’ve been with him for 10 years. I know how he is when he gets drunk," the mother said.
"Is he armed, do you know?" an officer said.
"No," the mother responded.
Police radio traffic captured the escalating situation before officers made contact.
"…heard screaming in the background and now he’s holding the baby out the window, threatening to drop it," a dispatcher said.
Watch: Waukesha father sentenced after holding his baby daughter out of a second-story window
As seen in body-worn camera footage obtained through TMJ4's partners at Midwest Safety, officers approached the home and spotted Schmidt from the second story. He was holding his 11-month-old in his arms through an open window.
"Sir, can you come down here, please?... I’ll separate her. We can talk down here," an officer said.
Schmidt refused to come down.
Officer: "Hey! Dude! Can you back up so the baby isn’t hanging down by the window?" an officer said.
Schmidt: "…no permission! She just showed up…"
Officer: "Dude, we can work this out."
Schmidt: "Nope!"
An officer then gave Schmidt a final warning.
"Dude, what you’re doing right now is child neglect. You’re hanging a child out the window," an officer said.
Due to the safety risks to the child, officers broke the chain lock on the door to enter the home.
"We don’t want you hurt. We don’t want your daughter hurt," one of them said.
Officers headed up the stairs to take the child away from Schmidt.
"Let go of her right now," an officer said.
Police safely recovered the child and put Schmidt in handcuffs. The child was not injured in the incident.
Schmidt then began making odd statements and yelling.
"But you don’t get it because you’re following their path and not mine! That’s right!" Schmidt said.
Officers took Schmidt out of the home, but several officers were needed to restrain him.
During the ordeal, Schmidt pinched one officer’s fingers and attempted to bite his taser holster.
According to court records, Jason Schmidt was found guilty of child neglect and battery of an officer by a no-contest plea in July of 2025.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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