News

April Hit of the Month 2023: Grundy County Sheriff’s Office [IL]

October 2, 2023

By: Zach Madden

Hit of the Month: April 2023

The winners and Nominees for Stop Stick’s Hit of the Month for April 2023.
“Hit of the Month” is Stop Stick, Ltd.’s program to recognize truly outstanding performance results coming from the successful deployment of Stop Stick® Tire Deflation Device in ending pursuits. Every month hundreds of reports are received from across the country documenting successful deployments of Stop Sticks®. These reports detail stories of exceptional police work and proper deployment of the Stop Stick® Tire Deflation Device to bring pursuits to an end safely. Below are the departments that were nominated from the hundreds of submissions, and the ones who have been selected as the “Hit of the Month”.

Winner:

Midwest

Grundy County Sheriff’s Office
Morris Illinois

# of tires deflated: 2 (R_Front, L_Front)
Pursuit Speed: 111-120 MPH
Time of Pursuit: 24 Minutes
Miles Traveled after deployment: < 1
Target Vehicle Make: 2014 Volkswagen Passat
Deploying Officer(s):Deputy Osborne

Deputy Osborne’s Deployment of Stop Stick on a stolen vehicle that resulted in the direct termination of a vehicle pursuit involving the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office [IL] earned our nomination for April’s Hit of the Month.

The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office was involved in a pursuit that took place in the early morning hours on April 23^rd.

The pursuit started when a FLOCK camera notified Sheriff Deputies that a stolen vehicle out of Joliet was in the area of Route 129, as deputies responded to the area they quickly spotted the stolen vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. That’s when a pursuit began, the occupants of the stolen vehicle hit the gas ignoring the deputies flashing lights, and attempted to flee.

As the stolen car took off it entered the I-55 Highway and proceeded northbound. Grundy County Deputy Osborne, anticipating the suspect’s movements was already in in position on the highway with Stop Sticks deployed just ahead of the fleeing vehicle.

The stolen vehicle hit the deputy’s Stop Sticks at approximately 110+ MPH flattening both vehicle’s front tires causing the suspect to stop the vehicle and attempt to escape on foot.

Grundy County Deputies with the help of a K9 unit were able to locate and apprehend 3 of the vehicle occupants, 2 females and 1 Male, one of the female suspects had to be taken to the hospital after ingesting 2 grams of heroin. Eventually, both female suspects were medically cleared and charged with felony possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest, and criminal trespass to a stolen motor vehicle.

The male suspect was already facing charges of drug dealing and prostitution and is now facing additional charges of criminal trespass, and resisting arrest.

Deputy Osborne and the Grund Co. Sheriff’s Office for April’s Hit of the Month for their quick coordination and effective use of Stop Stick® to end this pursuit quickly and safely. The combined use of FLOCK Cameras, and Stop Stick resulted in the direct capture and recovery of a stolen vehicle as well as several individuals with a long rap sheet of prior convictions.

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Nominees

East

Town of Simsbury Police Department
Simsbury, Connecticut

# of tires deflated: 4
Pursuit Speed: 0-10 MPH
Time of Pursuit: 1 Minute
Miles Traveled after deployment: < 1 Mile
Target Vehicle Make:2017 Hyundai Elantra
Deploying Officer: Ofc. Cruz, Sgt. Lessard

Ofc. Cruz & Sgt. Lessard of the Simsbury Police Department has earned our consideration of hit of the month. Their use of Stop Stick® helped prevent any further risk to the general public as they used Stop Stick as a means to disable a vehicle traveling in the wrong direction driven by an individual having a mental health-related event.

The Simsbury Police Department encountered a wrong-way driver on the Night of April 4^th, the vehicle had been traveling into oncoming traffic without any lights on nearly striking a Police cruiser in the process.

Simsbury Officers quickly executed a traffic stop on the wrong-way driver, as the vehicle appeared to be complying with the traffic stop it became apparent that the driver was having a mental health episode.

Officers preemptively deployed Stop Sticks in front and back of the vehicle to prevent the driver from taking off, however, the driver had other intentions and drove off over the officer’s Stop Sticks anyway.\

With all four of the vehicle’s tires deflated Simsbury Police were able to get the vehicle to stop again about ¼ mile down the road, the driver was visibly upset that they hit Stop Sticks, complied with the officer’s orders, and was able to be transported to a hospital for an evaluation.

The reporting officer stated that “no charges were sought due to the extreme mental health crisis of the patient, this incident could have ended much worse had Stop Sticks not been deployed”.

West

Elk Grove Police Department
Elk Grove, California

# of tires deflated: 3 (R-Front, L_Front, R_Rear)
Pursuit Speed: Nor Reported
Time of Pursuit: 29 Minutes
Miles Traveled after deployment: < 1
Target Vehicle Make: 2014 Chrysler Town & Country
Deploying Officer: Officer Justin Brazil

Officer Brazil earned our nomination for April’s Hit of the Month for his Stop Stick deployment that resulted in the end of a pursuit involving a kidnapping suspect and the safe recovery of the suspect’s victim.

The California Highway Patrol received tactical assistance from Officer Brazil and the Elk Grove Police Department as they pursued a vehicle reported to have a woman being held against her will.

CHP received a report of a woman being held against her will in a moving black Chrysler van on the morning of April 4^th.

After locating the suspect’s vehicle CHP officers attempted a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle ignored CHP’s commands and ultimately took responding officers on a chase that would enter the streets of Elk Grove.

As the suspect vehicle fled making its way into Elk Grove Officer Justin Brazil was able to safely deploy Stop Sticks ahead of the oncoming pursuit and effectively flatten 3 of the suspect vehicle’s tires causing the vehicle to come to a stop a short distance after.

As officers approached the suspect and his captive they were able to safely talk the victim out of the vehicle and get her out of harm’s way. As the victim exited the vehicle the suspect brandished a gun at officers, who fired several rounds at the suspect, missing him, and effectively getting the suspect to surrender.

The driver of the vehicle is facing charges of false imprisonment as well as multiple traffic violations in coordination with the pursuit.

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South

Georgetown Police Department
Newport, Oregon

# of tires deflated: 2 (R_Front, R_Rear)
Pursuit Speed: 61-70 MPH
Time of Pursuit: 20 Minutes
Miles Traveled after deployment: < 1
Target Vehicle Make: 2020 Ford F-150
Deploying Officer: Randy Williams

Officer Randy Williams deployed Stop Stick on an intoxicated individual driving the wrong way on a major interstate.

The pursuit was originally initiated by the Clear Creek Sheriff’s Office as they responded to a call of an individual headed into oncoming traffic on the highway, unable to effectively get the suspect to pull over and end the pursuit, Clear Creek Deputies called for assistance.

Officer Williams was able to position himself in front of the oncoming pursuit and deploy his Stop Sticks. As the pursuit approached his location Stop Sticks were pulled in front of the fleeing suspect flattening both right side tires resulting in the suspect surrendering less than a mile after hitting Officer Williams Stop Sticks.

The suspect is facing charges of DWI, and multiple other traffic-related charges.

To register for Stop Stick® Hit of the Month, please submit a Deployment Report using the Link: https://stopstick.com/deployment-report/

You can be considered for Video of the year by uploading Dashcam, or Bodycam footage after submitting your Deployment Report.

If you know an officer who should be nominated for Hit of the Month please submit a pursuit report: https://stopstick.com/home/pursuit-reporting