Hit of the Month: August

The winners and Nominees for Stop Stick’s Hit of the Month for September 2022.
“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”.

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Winner:

South

Corinth Police Department
Corinth, Mississippi

• # of tires deflated: 2 (L_Front, L_Rear)
• Pursuit Speed: 71-80 MPH
• Time of Pursuit: < 9 Minutes
• Miles Traveled after deployment: 1
• Target Vehicle Make: 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe
• Deploying Officer(s): Lt. Ram Mares

On 08-03-2022 Lt. Ram Mares assisted with a pursuit of a stolen vehicle that originated in Tennessee and crossed the state border into Mississippi. McNairy Co. Sheriff’s Deputies [TN] initiated a felony stop on the suspect’s vehicle after they had been made aware the vehicle was stolen. The suspect refused to yield to the Deupty’s attempts to pull the vehicle over, causing the deputies to engage in a high-speed pursuit as the suspect accelerated to 120 MPH.

The suspect made several attempts to shake the pursuing deputies by driving into oncoming traffic. As the vehicle continued to flee in the wrong direction on the highway, the Corinth Police Department was advised that the pursuit was headed in their direction. All Units were advised to block off the Highway exits to prevent the suspect from getting off Highway 45, as other CPD officers were able to observe the pursuit, Lt. Ram Mares was able to set up Stop Sticks safely near the exit he was positioned at ahead of the oncoming pursuit. After advising 911 and the pursuing units that Stop Sticks were deployed Lt. Mares, then observed a black SUV approaching his location at a high rate of speed. Lt. Mares then was able to successfully position his Stop Sticks directly in front of the suspect’s vehicle and flatten the front and rear driver-side tires. Lt. Mares was then able to safely remove Stop Sticks and rejoin the pursuit. The suspect was able to be apprehended roughly 1 mile after. The vehicle was safely recovered and found to be stolen from Wisconsin. The suspect is facing charges of Felony Fleeing, & Motorvehicle Theft.

Lt. Ram Mares’s deployment and communication with pursuing agencies lead to the direct capture and end to an extremely high-risk pursuit. This was a textbook example of how Stop Stick works to intervene and end high-speed pursuits.

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Nominees

WEST * Honorable Mention

Fresno County Sheriff’s Office
Fresno, California

• # of tires deflated: 1
• Pursuit Speed: 70 MPH
• Time of Pursuit: 9:30 am
• Miles Traveled after deployment: 1
• Target Vehicle Make: Chrysler Town and Country
• Deploying Officer: Sergeant Patrick Beggs

While Patrolling the Riverdale area a Fresno County Sheriff’s Deputy saw a large cloud of dust. As he got closer to the scene, a resident told the deputy a mini-van had just struck an advertisement sign and drove away. The Deputy caught up to the vehicle and tried to make a traffic stop, but the driver ignored the deputy’s commands and continued to speed away.

The driver was determined to be a 12-year-old boy from Hanford took deputies on a 70 mph pursuit running stop signs and driving on the wrong side of the road at times. Deputies made several attempts to disable the mini-van with Stop Sticks, the boy was able to avoid the deputy’s attempts until Sergeant Beggs deployed his Stop Sticks, the boy swerved towards Beggs nearly hitting him, then turned away towards the center of the road hitting the Sergeant’s Stop Sticks and disabling the driver side front tire. The boy came to a stop a mile down the road, when deputies contacted the driver they learned the boy had taken the family’s vehicle and intended to drive from Hanford to Sacramento, where he used to live. The boy was taken into custody and is facing charges of auto theft, evading police, and assault with a deadly weapon.

 

We wanted to give Fresno County Sheriff’s Office an honorable mention and consideration for HOM this deployment brought an end to a pursuit of a 12-year-old boy having a mental health episode, and despite nearly being run down Seargnt Beggs was still able to make a successful deployment which resulted in the immediate end to a potentially deadly pursuit.

 

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EAST

Manlius Police Department (Town of)
Manlius, New York

• # of tires deflated: 2
• Pursuit Speed: 41-50 MPH
• Time of Pursuit: 125 Minutes
• Miles Traveled after deployment: 2
• Target Vehicle Make: 2021 Chevy Equinox
• Deploying Officer: Ofc. Ryan Perrin

 

Ofc. Ryan Perrin of the Town of Manlius Police Department successfully deployed Stop Stick to bring a safe end to a pursuit that involved an individual who carjacked 2 cars during a pursuit that lasted 2 hours and 5 minutes. The pursuit started in Alaina and moved into Syracuse eventually ending in the Town of Manlius. NY State Troopers attempted to stop the suspect on the state Thruway, but the suspect refused the State Trooper’s commands and took off into Syracuse.

The suspect drove erratically and recklessly causing police on the ground to end the pursuit and let the Sherriff’s helicopter to follow the suspect from a distance.

The Suspect stopped at a Citgo Gas Station getting into a fight with another driver and then took that vehicle by force kicking the driver and 2 passengers out of their vehicle. Continuing in the new vehicle the suspect then went to another gas station crashing into another car the suspect forced that driver out of the car at knifepoint and proceeded to flee again in another vehicle. Officers would eventually locate the suspect in the second stolen car and were able to disable the vehicle with Stop Sticks. The suspect was successfully apprehended after the vehicle became disabled in a Circle K parking lot.

 

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MID-WEST

Griffith Police Department
Griffith, Indiana

• # of tires deflated: 2
• Pursuit Speed: 91-100 MPH
• Time of Pursuit: 61 Minutes
• Miles Traveled after deployment: 2
• Target Vehicle Make: 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL450
• Deploying Officer: Officer Abel

Officer Abel successfully deployed Stop Stick on a Mercedes SUV, Central Dispatch had informed area officers that St. John Police were in pursuit of a white Mercedes-Benz traveling east and approaching the town of Griffith. Officer Abel positioned his patrol vehicle in the westbound lanes ahead of the pursuit. As Officer Abel observed the suspect’s vehicle approach their location Stop Sticks were successfully deployed deflating the front passenger tire. After informing dispatch of the successful deployment, St John Police and the Lake Co. Sheriff’s office continued the pursuit. The suspect would successfully evade pursuing agencies, only to be re-discovered after a homeowner reported an unfamiliar vehicle parked in their driveway. Pursuing units arrived on the scene and observed the suspect flee into a wooded area. The suspect was successfully apprehended after Lake Co. Sheriff’s K9 unit tracked him down.

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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