David Schaeffer, Man Shot and Injured by Redding Officers in March, was just Arrested in Nevada

4.11.25 9:45 pm: We have updated this article with a significant correction. According to RPD Chief Brian Barner, Schaeffer was not in custody while receiving medical care. We have also corrected the spelling of the Nevada county where he’s being held.

A man who was shot and injured by Redding Police Officers as he sat in a parked car on March 26 was just arrested by Reno law enforcement. David Schaeffer, the 46-year old Anderson man, is now being held at the Washoe County Jail in Nevada as a fugitive.

According to a statement released today, April 11, by the District Attorney’s Office, after Schaeffer was shot by RPD in March he was taken to a local hospital to receive care. At some point he was transferred to an out-of-area medical facility, where he was later released without law enforcement’s knowledge.

RPD Chief Barner told Shasta Scout that while Schaeffer was shot in the process of being contacted by an officer, “he was not in custody while getting medical attention.”

On March 26, Schaeffer was approached by police because they had a warrant for his arrest on drug-related charges. He is now facing additional charges including “assault with a deadly weapon” against a police officer. The DA’s press release says the way Schaeffer drove his vehicle before he was shot, threatened the lives of officers.

A statement by the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office released on April 1, four days after Schaeffer’s shooting, said an initial multi-agency investigation into the incident showed that RPD officers had issued verbal commands while approaching Schaeffer’s vehicle. Eye witnesses who spoke to both the police and Shasta Scout claim that no such commands were given. 

The Redding Police Department has not yet released body camera footage that could confirm both the Sheriff’s and DA’s claims. Under California law, RPD has 45 calendar days from the time the shooting occurred to release that footage. That deadline expires in just less than four weeks.

Allegations Against Schaeffer

In March, at the time Schaeffer was shot, he was suspected to be connected to an ongoing RPD investigation involving alleged drug trafficking from Mexico into Shasta County as well as drug sales in Redding and Anderson.

According to a police report included in court documents, RPD officers were initially investigating a suspected transnational drug trafficking operation focused on a different suspect, Francisco Molina, whose address the report lists as located in Panorama City. Officers indicate in their reports that they believed that Molina has been running narcotics between Tijuana, the San Fernando Valley, and Shasta County, with suspicion of also selling drugs in Las Vegas.

In February, as part of the investigation, RPD obtained a warrant to surveil Molina’s movements up and down the state by monitoring his location via live GPS tracking of his phone. They also tracked Molina’s movements using license plate readers. 

On March 13, RPD executed a search warrant on a property in Anderson that they had reason to believe Molina was using as part of the alleged drug operation. Drawing on information obtained by informants earlier in their investigation, detectives believed that Schaeffer was also using the Anderson location as his “stash spot” to store methamphetamine for sale. 

When officers conducted their search of the Anderson property, neither Molina nor Schaeffer were at the scene. Three people present at the property were detained and questioned, during which time, RPD reports indicate, they spoke willingly to the police. One pointed out a trailer on the property that she said belonged to Schaeffer. Inside the trailer, officers documented having found “one pound of suspected methamphetamine.” 

That same day, March 13, RPD conducted a second search at a different location where they apprehended Molina. He was arrested and charged with transportation of a controlled substance, felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, unlawful possession of ammunition, and fleeing a pursuing peace officer’s vehicle. The District Attorney also filed charges in court against Schaeffer that day for unlawful possession of methamphetamine for sale with a number of enhancements.Schaeffer was not yet in custody.

Five days later, on March 18, Shasta County Superior Court issued a warrant for Schaeffer for alleged felony possession of hard drugs. The warrant mentions his prior convictions which include multiple drug-related felonies, and one serious domestic violence charge which he was convicted of in 2020. He was sentenced to four years with three additional years on parole. 

The March 18 warrant was issued in connection with an event in December in which an Anderson Police Department officer recognized Schaeffer as being on parole, stopped him as he walked down the street, and conducted a warrantless searched of him and his residence as allowed by his parole terms. The police report states that after searching Schaeffer’s apartment in December, the officer found several grams of suspected methamphetamine and cocaine, leading to new charges. 

On March 25 a separate warrant for Schaeffer was issued, for felony possession of a controlled substance for sale, this time related to the events of March 13, and connected with Molina.

One day later, on March 26, as Schaeffer sat in the driver’s seat of a vehicle in the Safeway Parking lot off Cypress Avenue, he was approached by an RPD officer. He was shot shortly afterwards.

What Happened Next

According to Schaeffer’s Facebook, he is a father and a graduate of West Valley High School. Since Schaeffer was shot on March 26, Shasta Scout has been in contact with several individuals who have identified themselves as friends and family members of the suspect.

Ken Faddis, aged 35 from Orland, identified himself as Schaeffer’s cousin. He said that he and Schaeffer love to ride motorcycles, having developed a close bond three years ago. 

Last week, Faddis said, he visited Schaeffer in a Sacramento area hospital, where he was undergoing surgery. Faddis described Schaeffer’s as having his jaw “wired shut” saying Schaeffer had “holes” in his jaw and right cheek and was unable to speak. 

RPD Chief Brian Barner confirmed for Shasta Scout today, April 11, that Schaeffer was injured in the jaw and face when he was shot by police, but said he could not disclose the hospital where the suspect had been receiving care. 

The RPD Chief referred Shasta Scout‘s further requests for comment to Shasta County’s Joint Critical Incident Team, saying the investigation is being led by Lieutenant Chris Edwards of the Shasta County Sheriff’s Department. Edwards could not be reached for comment. 

According to the DA’s press release, Schaeffer will be extradited from his current location in Nevada and returned to Shasta County. 

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