Death Classification: Line of Duty Death
Agency: Chicago Police Department
Served: 4 years, 1 month, 13 days
Unit of Assignment / Detail: 4th District - Stanton
District of Incident (Present Day): 002 - Wentworth
Cause of Death: Gunfire - Enemy
Age at Time of Death: 32
Timeline
Date of Birth: 31 Aug 1895
Date of Appointment: 29 Feb 1924
Date of Incident: 07 Apr 1928
End of Watch: 11 Apr 1928
Date of Interment: 14 Apr 1928
Interment Details
Cemetery: Lincoln Cemetery - Chicago, Illinois
Grave Location: Unknown
Interment Disposition: Burial
Memorial Details
Superintendent’s Honored Star Case: Panel # B-11
Gold Star Families Memorial Wall: Panel # 9
Illinois Police Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 2, Line 23
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 63-E: 5
Officer Down Memorial Page: Listed
Service
Military Service: No Military Record Found
Incident & Biographic Details
Patrolman Jesse Sneed, Sr., Star #5078, aged 32 years, was a 4 year, 1 month, 13 day veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to the 4th District – Stanton.
On April 7, 1928, at 12:45 a.m., Officer Sneed was on patrol and had come to the Northwest corner of 31st Street and Vernon Avenue where he observed two suspicious men, Clarence Lewis and Ralph Banks, alias Heard. Officer Sneed stopped the men for questioning and began to inquire about their business. As Officer Sneed was interviewing the men one of them drew a revolver from their pocket and shot him. Officer Sneed collapsed to the ground as the men fled the scene. Sneed was discovered shortly after the shooting and taken to Michael Reese Hospital where he lingered for four days before dying on April 11, 1928.
Clarence Lewis and Ralph Banks were later arrested but the Coroner’s Jury, which held them to the Grand Jury on April 11, 1928 was unable to determine which of them fired the fatal shot. Both men were indicted. On September 28, 1928, Banks was acquitted by Judge Comerford, who, on November 26, 1928, sentenced Lewis to life imprisonment in the Illinois State Penitentiary at Joliet.
Officer Sneed was laid to rest on April 14, 1928 in Lincoln Cemetery, 12300 South Kedzie Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.
Patrolman Jesse Sneed, Sr., born August 31, 1895, received his Probationary Appointment to the Chicago Police Department on February 29, 1924.
Officer Sneed was survived by his wife, Madeline (nee Douglas) and children: Theodore, age 8 and Walter Garett, age 10. He was preceded in death by his son, Jesse, Jr., age 2.
Incident Recorded under Chicago Police Department homicide file, Case #10972.