Stop Stick News December: The High-Stakes Review: Major Pursuits Involving $250,000 in Drugs and Armed Crews

NELSON COUNTY, N.D. (Valley News Live) – Two people are behind bars after a high-speed chase in Nelson County late Wednesday night.

Authorities received a call around 11 p.m. about a reckless driver on Hwy 2 in the Larimore area. They say the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Fargo.

The vehicle entered Nelson County, where authorities tried to pull the driver over. However, the driver took off, reaching speeds of up to 100 mph.

Authorities were able to stop the driver with stop sticks. They arrested 28-year-old Claude Joseph Black of St. Michael and 34-year-old Sherilyn June Lohnes of Tokio.

TOWNSHIP OF BYRON (NBC 26) — A Milwaukee man is in jail in Fond du Lac County for leading a deputy on a 7-mile chase Thursday night.

Authorities say they tried stopping a driver on northbound Interstate 41 near Lost Arrow Road in the Township of Byron for failing to move over or slow down for an emergency vehicle.

The deputy says the driver sped up and started driving recklessly when they tried pulling him over.

More deputies used stop sticks to get the driver to stop south of the Johnson Street exit, and he got out of his vehicle and started running.

Police arrested a Michigan murder suspect in Illinois. Specifically, this followed a high-speed chase on Interstate 55.

On Wednesday, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies responded to a welfare check. This occurred at the Avenue A Trailer Park in Springfield, Michigan.

Upon arriving, deputies learned a female inside the residence may have been injured. Therefore, deputies forced entry. Deputies then found a deceased 54-year-old female.

Deputies identified a 57-year-old person of interest. This person had prior contact with the victim. Consequently, law enforcement agencies were notified across the area and surrounding states.

Illinois State Police located a vehicle matching the person-of-interest’s description. The vehicle was driving in Bloomington, Illinois. Law enforcement attempted to stop the vehicle. However, the person failed to stop, and a pursuit occurred.

SALISBURY — A man was arrested after police say he fled from a second traffic stop on Interstate 85 just 20 minutes after being cited for driving while his license was revoked.

The second traffic stop was initiated just before 1 a.m. on Wednesday near exit 68 on the interstate. A deputy located on the ramp said that he noticed a black passenger vehicle driving southbound without any rear lights on, according to a spokesperson for the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office.

The deputy then caught up to the car around the Old Beatty Ford Road exit ramp, at which point he noticed the vehicle change lanes in front of a tractor-trailer in an “unsafe manner,” the spokesperson said. The deputy then turned on his vehicle’s lights in an attempt to stop the black car, but the driver began to speed up in an alleged attempt to flee the stop.

The spokesperson said the driver began erratically changing lanes while continuing to speed up, continuously flashing his headlight high-beams in an attempt to get other drivers to move out of the way. The chase continued until the driver exited the interstate onto Cannon Boulevard in Kannapolis.

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Clay County Sheriff’s Office successfully used stop sticks to stop a seven-mile chase of a woman suspected of stealing a car in Jacksonville.

Nichole Marie Downing, 40, of Jacksonville, was charged with grand theft auto, driving under the influence, attempting to flee from law enforcement with emergency lights and siren active and driving with a suspended license on Dec. 6 after a deputy noticed her weaving and driving 10 mph slower than the posted speed limit on U.S. Highway 17.

Believing she was either impaired or under the influence, the deputy tried to make a traffic stop. According to the arrest report, the deputy was alerted the car had been reported stolen as Downing sped on eight different streets in the downtown area to get away.

LOGAN COUNTY, Ky. (WBKO) – An Evansville man was charged Wednesday night after a vehicle pursuit in Logan County.

Isiah Fingers, 24, was charged with DUI, first-degree wanton endangerment of a police officer and first-degree fleeing or evading police.

Police reported that at 11:08 p.m. a Logan County Deputy was patrolling Bowling Green Road when he attempted to perform a traffic stop on a 2022 Dodge Ram TRX pick up truck.

The driver, later identified as Fingers, accelerated and continued east towards the Warren County line.

Another Logan County Deputy ahead of Fingers in the area deployed spike strips and deflated both front tires of the Dodge Ram.

Authorities say the suspect vehicle drove on the grass near Sullivan’s Castle Island in an attempt to escape before eventually hitting a spike strip, a gate and a police cruiser.

ARKER, Colo. (KKTV) – A woman from Aurora is facing a long list of serious charges following a chase through Parker while she was behind the wheel of a car stolen from Colorado Springs.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is reporting multiple arrests in 24 hours Sunday into Monday involving stolen vehicles this week. Click here for more on the other arrests.

One of the arrests came Monday morning after 1. According to the sheriff’s office, Parker Police tried to stop a vehicle along Parker Road, but the driver refused to pull over. The suspect vehicle was a 2010 Nissan Rogue that was reported stolen out of Colorado Springs.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Deputies arrested 37-year-old Johnny Mack Bryant, Jr. Sunday night. He allegedly tried to hit an officer with a stolen car. Subsequently, he fled across Gainesville before deputies deployed Stop Sticks on SE Hawthorne Road.

Initially, Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officers located a stolen Hyundai Sonata. This happened near Pineridge Apartments. GPD then attempted a traffic stop on NE 39th Avenue near Ironwood. However, the driver, later identified as Bryant, allegedly refused to stop. Instead, he drove through the Eden Park complex.

At about 10:45 p.m., an officer on foot in the complex drew his gun. He gave verbal commands to Bryant. Nevertheless, Bryant allegedly accelerated toward the officer. The officer narrowly dodged the car.

A Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) deputy assisted an Elgin Police Department (EPD) officer in a pursuit. Specifically, a man suspected of DUI drove a backhoe on December 2. The deputy, traveling on White Pond Road, responded after hearing the officer’s request for help. Initially, the officer asked the deputy to meet him and the suspect at a Rose Street liquor store in Elgin. Furthermore, the EPD officer reported that the man appeared intoxicated and possibly stole the backhoe.

By the time the deputy reached the liquor store, the officer and backhoe were gone. However, the deputy soon learned the Elgin officer was pursuing the suspect on the backhoe toward Church Street. When the deputy caught up, both officers maneuvered around the backhoe. They did this in an effort to deploy spike strips. Nevertheless, the man managed to maneuver around the stripes. As he passed the deputy, he threw his hands in the air, yelling, “I’m taking it back!”

GARBER, Okla. —

A multi-county chase came to an end in Garber on Monday morning.

Sky 5 was the only news helicopter over the scene. It started around 5 a.m. on Monday off of Meridian Avenue and Southwest 15th Street.

Police said a black truck was stolen and police deployed spike strips to pop the tires. Sky 5 followed the chase from Oklahoma City through Logan County and all the way to Garber.

When the truck stopped, police surrounded the vehicle and the suspect got out. Police said the suspect stole the truck from a hotel in OKC while the owner was loading up their bags. Speeds only reached about 75 miles per hour at one point and the chase lasted over an hour. The suspect is in custody, but it is unclear what the charges will be at this time.

A driver is behind bars after she led police on a chase last week. The pursuit began in North Mankato and reached speeds of up to 110 mph.

Police eventually arrested 30-year-old Stephanie Deborah Renee Williams of Mankato in Watonwan County. She is currently in custody in the Blue Earth County Jail.

North Mankato police performed a traffic stop on December 8 shortly after 11 p.m. on a vehicle that was going 50 mph on the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge.

As the officer approached the vehicle, Williams fled northbound, disregarding several stop signs and reaching speeds of 75 mph, according to a press release from Police Chief Ross Gullickson.

Pickaway County – A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to prison. Specifically, this followed a high-speed chase exceeding 115 MPH.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSP), they attempted a traffic stop on a black Toyota. This occurred near milepost 11 on US-23 Southbound. Initially, the driver stopped. However, he then took off heading southbound. The post reported that the vehicle then performed a U-turn in the median near the Sheriff’s office. Furthermore, he then “put the pedal to the metal.”

OSP reported speeds of over 115 MPH. Therefore, during the chase, OSP requested spike strips in the Northbound lane. The Pickaway Sheriff’s department was in position. They successfully deployed a spike strip, puncturing a front tire. The driver nonetheless continued through South Bloomfield at high speeds. It was not until his front tire started to break down that he finally decided to stop.

Once stopped, OSP initiated a felony stop. Consequently, they arrested 23-year-old Keon’ta Whitney. Upon his arrest, Whitney was found to be in possession of a loaded handgun.

DUMAS, Texas (KVII) — A high-speed police chase of three suspects ended in Dumas. Specifically, they were wanted for an Amarillo home invasion. The chase concluded with spike strips and a PIT maneuver.

Around 1:20 a.m. Sunday, Amarillo police responded to a call. The incident involved a home invasion robbery/shooting on Redwood Street. During the crime, three suspects restrained and assaulted several family members. Police said the suspects also stole personal items from the residence.

Subsequently, when another family member arrived at the house, the suspects took off. They sped away in a black SUV. Meanwhile, the arriving family member followed the suspects. This person drove a silver Chevrolet pickup. However, the suspects fired shots at the pickup, according to Amarillo police.