“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”.

FEBRUARY 2022 HIT OF THE MONTH WINNER

SOUTH

Deploying Officer: Officer Edwardo Garcia-Garza
Palmview Police Department – Texas

Pursuit time: 13 Minutes
Speed: 81-90 MPH
Miles covered after Deployment: 3
Number of Tires Flattened 2
Make: Mercedes-Benz C300

Palmview Police department assisted, Texas DPS, U.S. Border Patrol, and Penitas PD in a pursuit involving a Mercedes-Benz C300 whose occupants had fired upon Law Enforcement just before the pursuit.

Palmview officer Edwardo Garcia-Garza broke off from the pursuit and made his way through back roads to get out in front of the suspects. As Officer Garcia-Garza navigated his way through the backroads the pursuit continued closing in on the U.S.-Mexico Border, coordinating with the pursuing officers and agencies Officer Garcia-Garza determined the best strategic location to deploy Stop Stick® which was just after a series of curves and a railroad crossing in a low lit area. The suspect’s vehicle hit Garcia-Garza’s Stop Sticks deflating both left-side tires and ultimately disabling the vehicle about 3 miles after the deployment. The suspects were taken into custody immediately without any further incident.

FEBRUARY 2022 Nominees

East Region

Deploying Officer(s): Officer Keating (Camden), Sgt. Richard T. Baker (Wyoming)
Camden Police Department – Delaware
Wyoming Police Department – Delaware

Pursuit time: 16 Minutes
Speed: 81-90 MPH
Miles covered after Deployment: 10
Number of Tires Flattened 4
Make: Honda Accord

Camden Police were successful in capturing a man in a stolen vehicle wanted by the Dover Police Department. Dover Police had received a report of a Stolen Honda Accord just before spotting the vehicle driving through town. Dover PD attempted a traffic stop before initiating a pursuit. The suspect led officers on a 10 miles pursuit pulling in Wyoming Policed, and Camden Police to assist.

PFC. Jared Boesenberg was able to get out in front of the pursuit and positioned himself to deploy Stop Stick®. The suspect, still speeding through side streets, hit Officer Boesenberg’s Stop Sticks successfully deflating all of the Honda Accord’s tires causing the suspect to give up the car pursuit and flee on foot. Pursuing officers quickly caught the suspect and managed to bring him into custody. The suspect is facing charges of Theft of a Motor Vehicle, Resisting Arrest, Disregard for Police Officer’s Signals, Criminal Mischief (x2), and multiple traffic-related offenses.\

Reference Article: https://doverpolice.org/2022/02/22/stolen-vehicle-suspect-arrested-after-pursuit/

*HONORABLE MENTION*
West Region

Deploying Officer – Samuel  Garcia Jr.
San Diego Police Department- California 

Pursuit time: 23 Minutes
Speed: 81-90 MPH
Miles covered after Deployment: 6
Number of Tires Flattened 8
Make: Ford Winstar

Officer Samual Garcia Jr. was working a late-night patrol when he responded to a pursuit call that went out from another SDPD substation. Officer Garcia quickly jumped into action to position himself where he could safely deploy Stop Stick® however after getting out of his vehicle, he determined that the pursuit was traveling too fast, and he didn’t have enough time to safely deploy Stop Stick®. Garcia jumped back into his patrol vehicle and began to monitor the direction of the pursuit over the radio. After determining a safe route that paralleled the pursuit direction and would allow him to get out in front of the suspect, he began to head in that direction. Successfully navigating to the new position and getting out ahead of the pursuing vehicles, Officer Garcia advised the other officer’s Stop Stick was being deployed. The suspect was traveling in the number 1 lane at approximately 90MPH when he came into contact with the deployed Stop Stick Device, puncturing their front right tire and drastically reducing the suspect’s speed. After approximately 2 miles the suspect turned onto a dead-end street, where the pursuing officers would eventually bring the pursuit to an end after a K9 intervention to get the suspect out of the vehicle.

Midwest Region

Deploying Officer – Deputy Bauer
Racine County Sheriff’s Department – Wisconsin

Pursuit time: 16 Minutes
Speed: 91-100 MPH
Miles covered after Deployment: < 1
Number of Tires Flattened 3
Make: Nissan Sentra

A pursuit involving multiple suspects was initiated after the suspect vehicle failed to comply with a Racine County Sheriff’s Deputy’s attempts to initiate a traffic stop. The suspect’s vehicle was fleeing law enforcement at over 100 MPH before exiting the highway and heading for an industrial park in an attempt to lose the deputies. Unlucky for the suspects they had entered a location that deputies were all too familiar with. Acting quickly the deputies closed off one of the two ways out of the industrial park, and set up Stop Stick outside the other exit. The suspects slowly drove around the industrial park as deputies monitored their movement and waited for them to make their move. As the suspects began to emerge from the industrial park as deputies were advised to deploy Stop Stick® as the vehicle approached their location, Racine County Deputies successfully deflated 3 of the vehicle’s tires.

Despite now having 3 flat tires, the suspects attempted a second get-away attempt and tried to re-enter the highway at a high rate of speed, only to lose control of the vehicle and come to a stop in a ditch. The driver of the vehicle would attempt to flee on foot, while the other two occupants were taken into custody. Deploying officer Bauer eventually arrived on the scene just in time to exit his vehicle and assist in capturing the fleeing driver. All suspects were successfully taken into custody, and upon search of the vehicle, Deputies recovered a loaded handgun, marijuana, and other drug paraphernalia.

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