On the Fourth of July this year, a routine traffic stop in Summit County escalated into a situation that could’ve easily turned dire. According to a social media post from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Terrell Kemp, while conducting a traffic stop, was unexpectedly launched into a pursuit when the male driver decided to flee. The chase ended when the driver crashed his vehicle and attempted to continue his flight on foot.
The plot thickened as Deputies Kemp, Shawn Brady, and Sgt. Corin Usinski was informed by dispatch of a concurrent burglary perpetrated by a male fitting the description of the runaway driver. Actions soon shifted to a nearby residence where the same suspect had barricaded himself in the bathroom, heightening the risk of the encounter given the possibility he was armed. Despite the potential danger, Kemp and Usinski engaged the suspect with communication strategies designed to de-escalate the tension while Brady and Deputy Michael Kuzas secured the perimeter…