Bishop - Five-hour standoff ends with arrest

Inyo County sheriff’s deputies escort a friend and neighbor to the trailer of Wilfred Schober in the hopes of talking Schober out of his residence where he was holed up for more than four hours Monday. Because Schober was thought to be armed, dangerous and even suicidal, law enforcement took no chances: Shepherd Lane was blocked to non-emergency traffic, negotiators were called in along with the Inyo County Special Weapons Enforcement Team and the trailer was surrounded by armed personnel. Photo by Mike Bodine

Inyo County law enforcement found themselves in a tense standoff Monday with an armed and allegedly suicidal man who had barricaded himself in his home in West Bishop.
The situation went on for nearly five hours before the suspect was taken into custody without a single shot fired.
With the sun preparing to set, and dozens of residents displaced from their homes by order of evacuation, Inyo County’s Special Weapons Enforcement Team was able to safely remove 67-year-old Wilfred Alan Schober from his home with the use of tear gas.
Schober was arrested on charges that included public intoxication and obstruction/delaying an officer in the performance of his duties.
The potentially deadly stalemate began around 2:45 p.m. Monday when sheriff’s deputies went to make a welfare check on Schober at 216 Shepherd Ln.
There had been previous calls and reports from neighbors that Schober had been acting erratically and drinking heavily.
Some neighbors had reported that not only did Schober have some powerful guns, including a 308, but that he had been heard saying, “If the cops come for me, I’m going to shoot.”

Wilfred Schober was removed from his trailer on a gurney after law enforcement deployed tear gas Monday evening to end a lengthy standoff with the reportedly despondent resident. Photo by Mike Bodine

When the deputies approached Schober’s residence, Schober said he wouldn’t talk to the police and stepped back inside his residence, an older-model, 20-foot fifth-wheel trailer.
Schober did not respond to deputies’ calls after re-entering the trailer.
While Schober had not made any direct threats to anyone or the officers, with his cache of guns and alleged suicidal behavior, deputies determined he was a threat to himself and blocked any exits or entries.
The trailer was quickly surrounded by various law enforcement personnel. Sheriff’s Department negotiator Investigator Kelvin Johnston and Bishop Police Department negotiator Officer Glenn McClinton arrived on scene to try to talk Schober into exiting the trailer. Officers tossed a cell phone in the trailer, but Schober rarely responded to calls.
Lutze said later that based on the minimal communication officers had with Schober, it page
became evident that Schober wanted a “suicide-by-cop” scenario.
The options of how to approach and eventually remove Schober from the trailer were limited.
One officer on scene said that Schober could be lying in wait in the trailer, holding an unloaded weapon. When officers busted in, they would have little choice but to fire. Another officer explained that using a Taser on suspects holding a firearm is not recommended. Being Tased causes the hands to curl, possibly enough to squeeze a trigger.
An officer explained that the trailer is small and cramped and would not allow much room for officers to safely gain entry. Tear gas was another option, but while the canisters give off only a small blast-charge when ignited, it could be enough to start a fire inside the old trailer.
By 4 p.m., Lutze and Undersheriff Jim Jones were on scene along with the other 16 police cars parked along Shepherd, and 6-8 units in the back of the residence. No traffic was allowed in or out of the area. Those responding to the scene were the Sheriff’s Department, Bishop Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, Symons Ambulance Service, the Bishop Volunteer Fire Department and Inyo County Mental Health.
Several more attempts to contact Schober by phone and by negotiators proved unsuccessful.
Neighbors were a little upset about being stuck in their homes during the incident. One senior woman, with obvious mobility limitations, said she, “couldn’t wait any longer to get my medication and had to jump the neighbor’s fence” to get off of Shepherd Lane and into town.
By 6 p.m., an Entry Team was being assembled and several plans discussed.
At 6:45, Bishop Volunteer Fire Department personnel were called into the station for “standby,” which indicated tear gas was going to be used.
Fire trucks, ambulances and Fire Chief Ray Segunie showed up quickly thereafter with Seguine giving obvious approval as the Entry Team geared up.
The team, made up of Hollowell, Bishop PD Officer Danny Nolan, and Bishop PD Lt. Chris Carter donned gas masks, helmets and approached the trailer behind a riot shield.
The officers had attached a small canister of 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile, or CS gas, to a pole, lit the can first then poked the can of gas through an open window in the trailer. Officers said that at that point, Schober was at the door of the trailer but still would not exit. It was reported Schober needed a “little push” to get him out.
Schober was taken into custody, hand-cuffed and placed face down on a gurney, then transported to Northern Inyo Hospital for a mental health evaluation.
“We knew we had to make a decision before dark,” Lutze explained, adding that there was no response from Schober and with confirmed reports that he had weapons inside the trailer and his suicidal behavior, something needed to be done.
Following Schober’s arrest, Hollowell called for a complete search of the trailer for additional weapons or notes.