December 2021 Hit of the Month: Monroe County Sheriff’s Office – Michigan

“Hit of the Month” is Stop Stick, Ltd. 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 safely bring pursuits to an end. Below are the departments that were nominated from the hundreds of submissions for Stop Stick’s Hit of the Month.

DECEMBER HOM WINNER

Midwest

Deploying Officer: Deputy Brian Rachuba

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office  – Michigan

Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy Rachuba helped capture a suspect that led several state agencies on a multiday man-hunt. After fleeing police in Toledo Ohio, where Bluffton Police originally attempted to stop the suspect who, refused to comply with the officer’s commands, and proceeded to flee. As officers followed in pursuit someone from inside the vehicle began shooting at the pursuing officers. The pursuit continued west until the suspect and passenger attempted to abandon the vehicle and flee on foot.
The passenger was quickly apprehended, while the driver managed to evade police. Resorting to stealing a second car 2 miles away the suspect attempted to flee the state. After a BOLO report was issued the suspect was then seen the following day driving the second stolen vehicle. That’s when officers attempted to stop the suspect again. The suspect proceeded to attempt to flee again but the Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy was already prepared ahead of the suspect and was able to deploy Stop Stick® puncturing 3 of the 4 tires and causing the suspect to surrender without further incident

Reference article:
https://sports.yahoo.com/details-released-bluffton-shootout-suspect-153100440.html

December Nominees

East Region

Deploying Officer – Rikki Ruggerio
Loris Police Department – South Carolina

Pursuit time: 28 Minutes
Speed: 81-90 MPH
Miles covered after Deployment: 1
Number of Tires Flattened 4
Make: Chevy S10

Loris Police assisted Columbus Sherriff’s Deputies in capturing a female suspect seen leaving a known drug house. The home was under surveillance as part of a joint tactical operation called “Operation Take Back Columbus”. Columbus Deputies attempted to perform a traffic stop on the suspect’s vehicle which prompted the suspect to attempt to flee. The Suspect led law enforcement on a 20-minute pursuit eventually crossing the South Carolina state line, where she eventually wrecked, but recovered, continuing the pursuit. Loris Officers strategically placed Stop Sticks not far from where the suspect initially crashed, flattening all of the suspect’s tires and causing the suspect to attempt to flee on foot but would be quickly captured. Officers found cocaine and weapons in the vehicle however, the capture of the suspect helped provide additional evidence for the Columbus Sheriff’s office to execute their search of the home the suspect was seen leaving resulting in 6 arrests, and the seizure of 6 guns, cocaine, and heroin

Reference Article:
https://columbuscountynews.com/2021/12/raids-result-in-heroin-cocaine-seizures/

South Region

Deploying Officer – Officer Scott Webster
Castle Rock Police Department – Colorado

Pursuit time: 28 Minutes
Speed: 81-90 MPH
Miles covered after Deployment: 1
Number of Tires Flattened 4
Make: Chevy S10

Loris Police assisted Columbus Sherriff’s Deputies in capturing a female suspect seen leaving a known drug house. The home was under surveillance as part of a joint tactical operation called “Operation Take Back Columbus”. Columbus Deputies attempted to perform a traffic stop on the suspect’s vehicle which prompted the suspect to attempt to flee. The Suspect led law enforcement on a 20-minute pursuit eventually crossing the South Carolina state line, where she eventually wrecked, but recovered, continuing the pursuit. Loris Officers strategically placed Stop Sticks not far from where the suspect initially crashed, flattening all of the suspect’s tires and causing the suspect to attempt to flee on foot but would be quickly captured. Officers found cocaine and weapons in the vehicle however, the capture of the suspect helped provide additional evidence for the Columbus Sheriff’s office to execute their search of the home the suspect was seen leaving resulting in 6 arrests, and the seizure of 6 guns, cocaine, and heroin.

West

Deploying Officer – Deputy C. Newton
Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon

Pursuit time: 54 Minutes
Speed: 31-40 MPH
Miles covered after Deployment: 1
Number of Tires Flattened 3
Make: Dodge Durango

The reporting officer wrote that Officers had received a report of a stolen enclosed utility trailer, that was being pursued by West Linn PD. The pursuit would be handed off to the deploying agency and travel for roughly 14 miles before Deputy Newton was able to deploy Stop Stick ahead of the vehicle and the stolen trailer, flattening the two front and left rear tires causing the suspect to give up. The suspect was taken into custody without incident but upon inspection of the stolen trailer, it had appeared to have been converted into a “tiny home” with an estimated worth of $12,000 bumping up the suspect’s charges to a B Felony.

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

You can additionally 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