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Miami Township Police Officers receive commendations

Officers Swain, Bullock, Roush, Mehne, Schmid receive award

Police Chief Steve Bailey congratulates Sgt Ted Swain, Detective Keith Bullock, Officer Gary Roush and Officer Ed Schmid on their commendations. Officer Brian Mehne was not able to attend the event.

Sergeant Ted Swain, Officer Keith Bullock, Officer Gary Roush, Officer Brian Mehne and Officer Ed Schmid of the Miami Township were awarded the Miami Township Police Department's Meritorious Service Award on June 26.

Early on the morning of February 2, 2006, Clermont County Sheriff's Officer Deputy Jeff Gobbi called out on his radio that he was in pursuit of a suspect who had just been involved in a shooting in Union Township. He was pursuing the suspect northbound along Interstate 275 toward Miami Township at speeds exceeding 110 MPH.

Miami Township Police Sergeant Ted Swain quickly organized his patrol units to have them ready and waiting on the SR 28 ramp when the suspect and Deputy Gobbi came by. The pursuit now continued northbound on the interstate and into a construction zone just south of Wards Corner Road that was crowded with commuters headed to work.

The suspect started to lose control of his vehicle and struck an ODOT work vehicle, causing three workers to be thrown out of the rear of truck into the highway median. The suspect then crashed his car into the rear of a civilian car. That crash ejected his passenger from the suspect car.

The suspect vehicle was now stopped in the roadway, and officers began telling him to show his hands and to get out of his car. He refused to cooperate and then crashed his car into Deputy Gobbi's patrol car. Officers again ordered the suspect to show his hands and he again refused. Sergeant Swain and Officer Bullock got into position and fired their TASERS at the suspect through the open windows of the vehicle. Although the TASER darts struck their target, the suspect continued to resist their commands.

The suspect car then caught fire from the crash damage. The fire quickly began to involve the CCSO car. Sgt. Swain attempted several times to extinguish fire, and as the fire was quickly growing, the suspect produced a handgun and shot himself. Sgt. Swain approached the suspect car, took the handgun, and with assistance from a CCSO deputy pulled the suspect from the burning car.

Only an hour before, the man they had just saved from certain death had violently pistol whipped a man in Union Township, and then shot his girlfriend and kidnapped her from the residence. It was this female victim who was ejected in the crash and who sustained additional serious injuries.

Only 12 months earlier, the suspect had been released from prison after serving 15 years of a 50-year sentence for Aggravated Robbery and Felonious Assault on a Police Officer. The suspect survived all of his wounds and injuries, and is today once again in prison.

On the morning of February 2, on multiple occasions, Sgt. Swain and his Officers had more than enough cause to use deadly force against a dangerous suspect who had demonstrated a complete disregard for the lives of others. Instead, they used their training, their wits and their courage to save the life of that dangerous suspect and to bring the situation to a satisfactory conclusion.

The residents of Miami Township are blessed to have these brave and dedicated men serving in the ranks of their police department and their actions during the early morning hours of February 2, 2006 shall not go unrecognized.