Levelland Police Sergeant Ty Land received the STOP STICK “Hit Pin” Wednesday for his accomplishment in bringing an end to a high speed pursuit this past November.
On November 28, around 11:35 p.m. an LPD officer initiated a traffic stop after observing a traffic violation in the area of Avenue S and Austin Street.
The pursuit took place in the Southwest portion of the Levelland City Limits and Hockley County with the LPD, Hockley County Sheriff’s Office, Sundown Police Department, Cochran County Sheriff’s Office and a Department of Public Safety helicopter engaging in the pursuit.
LPD Captain Mateo Lopez explained that Land was able to deploy tire deflation devices which ended the pursuit safely and peacefully on FM 300 and Kelly Road. As a result, two individuals were placed under arrest with the driver of the vehicle being the main suspect.
“Successfully pursuing the vehicle and coming to a peaceful resolution needs to be contributed to all law enforcement personnel who engaged in the incident,” said Lopez.
Lopez also shared that he was proud of Land’s use of the “STOP STICKS” or tire deflation devices that are one of the resources law enforcement agencies can utilize in the event of a high speed pursuit.
Land is the second officer from the LPD to be recognized for his accomplishments.
LPD Chief Albert Garcia explained that since putting in the effort to achieve the departments accreditation for the past several years, that has required the department to adopt policies to ensure officers follow certain steps to remain safe as possible in such scenarios and put an emphasis on safety for those around them including the public.
Taking those steps to the higher level is something Garcia is proud of when it comes to the work his personnel are doing and receiving such recognition for their efforts continues to show how serious Land and the remaining staff take their jobs.
“Additionally, I would like to extend my thanks to our city council as they allow us to have the flexibility in our budget to acquire these types of devices which allows us to do our jobs safely and efficiently,” said Garcia. “Equipment such as these Stop Sticks are not cheap by any means, but our council understands the importance of having certain things to help us stay safe in precarious situations and protect our community to the best of our ability.”
Garcia feels that the council understood that with the accreditation of the department, things were going to have to change in terms of things needed to be purchased to get the job done as an example.
“We appreciate the support our council has shown us as we have worked diligently trying to be one of the best agencies in the state,” said Garcia.