Sonora officer receives Medal of Valor

Sonora police officer Ryan D. Webb received the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor from Gov. Jerry Brown and Attorney Gen. Kamala Harris during a ceremony Monday in Sacramento.

On Nov. 22, 2014, Webb responded to a call involving an armed suspect who had tried unsuccessfully to get into a Sonora home before driving away. Webb recognized the car and pursued it until the suspect stopped in downtown Sonora.

When told to surrender, Bruce Thomas Snyder, a 29-year-old parolee, opened fire and Webb shot back. Webb was grazed in the hip, according to police reports, and a female bystander was hit by a bullet from Snyder’s gun but not killed. Snyder got back in his car, leading officers on a second pursuit that ended in another gunbattle at the same downtown location, where he was shot and killed by Webb and other officers.

Webb was recognized for actions “above and beyond the call of duty, and exemplify the highest standards of a California public safety officer.”

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 1:07 PM with the headline "Sonora officer receives Medal of Valor."