Man on Tracks is Shot by Police

 
Los Angeles. On March 3, 2005, a man, who had been wandering in a darkened area along the railroad tracks near Balboa Boulevard, north of Roscoe Boulevard, was shot by LAPD officers after the man charged the officers.
The incident began at 7 PM when Deputy David Long of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department answered a radio call of a white male on the Metrorail track, south of the Balboa Village apartments, located at 8351 Balboa Boulevard.
Deputy Long saw the man, later identified as 36-year-old George Snebold of Simi Valley, acting bizarre, walking along the tracks. Deputy Long requested back up before confronting Snebold.
Four LAPD officers arrived, two from Devonshire Police Station, and two assigned to Valley Traffic Division. The officers noticed Snebold holding several objects. Snebold refused to drop the objects when ordered, and he became aggressive, throwing one object at Officer Mark Buck. Officer Timothy Kohl fired a TASER device at Snebold, but it had no apparent effect.
Still armed with a metal object, Snebold charged Officer Buck. Officers John Bailey and Efren Corral fired their service weapons at Snebold, who sustained multiple wounds. He was listed in critical, but stable condition at Northridge Medical Center. He will be charged with aggravated assault on a police officer.
Deputy Long was also wounded in the shooting by a round fired from one of the LAPD officers’ guns. Long did not fire his weapon. Fortunately, Long’s wound was minor, the majority of the force having been absorbed by his body armor at the collarbone. Deputy Long was released from Northridge Medical Center the same night.
Officer Bailey is 29 years old, and Officer Buck is 40 years old. Both offices are assigned to Valley Traffic Division and have 8 years with LAPD.
Officer Corral is 35 years old, and Officer Kohl is 32 years old. Both officers are assigned to Devonshire Police Station and have 5 years of service with LAPD.
The Force Investigation Division of the LAPD is conducting the investigation of the incident. Members of the Sheriff’s Department were also present at the scene, as was Chief William Bratton, and representatives of the Inspector General’s office and the District Attorney’s office.
This news release was prepared by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Media Relations Section at 213-485-3586.