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Samuel L. Snyder
Agency patch
Corporal

Samuel L. Snyder

Baltimore County Police Department — Towson, MD
Felonious
United States flag Maryland flag
End of Watch August 23, 1983
Age 71
Tour of Duty 30 yrs
The Vigil Panel 281 · Column 2 · Line 19 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 11

Incident

Corporal Samuel Snyder was shot and killed while backing up officers at a disturbance call at a local restaurant at the intersection of Loch Raven Boulevard and East Joppa Road. When officers arrived, they found several patrons attempting to separate a man and a woman engaged in a physical altercation. The officers were able to gain control of the situation and placed the male suspect in his own car while they questioned witnesses. The man suddenly pulled out a gun from under his seat and began shooting. Corporal Snyder had just arrived on the scene and was walking toward the other officers when the shooting began. He was struck once in the back by one of the five shots fired. Other officers on the scene returned fire, wounding the man in the abdomen before taking him into custody. He was flown to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries 13 days later. At 71 years old, he was the oldest active serving officer with the department when he was shot. Corporal Snyder had served with the Baltimore County Police Department for 30 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

30 years. You could have gone home.
Corporal Snyder gave the Baltimore County Police Department 30 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Towson community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corporal Snyder.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Baltimore County Police Department
Type Police Department
Location Towson, Baltimore County, MD
Platform Identity bcpd.baltimore.md.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 23, 1983
Tour of Duty 30 yrs
Age 71
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Samuel is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  3. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1983, 106 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 47th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Samuel was 71. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Samuel had served 30 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

August holds 8.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Tuesdays: 13.4%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Baltimore County Police Department has 12 officers remembered here, Samuel among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Corporal Samuel L. Snyder

Baltimore County Police Department · End of Watch August 23, 1983

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 17-W

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