What started as a routine traffic stop in Hudson on Tuesday night spiraled into a Hollywood-level chase across a Stow golf course, a flipped park ranger cruiser and a neighborhood on edge, before troopers finally hauled in a man wanted on an attempted murder charge.
State troopers say the suspect, later identified as 39-year-old Julius Edwards of Canton, tore through Hudson and Stow in two different vehicles, cut across the fairways at Fox Den Golf Course and ultimately crashed into a Summit Metro Parks cruiser. Despite reports of gunfire and a mangled park vehicle, no officers or bystanders were struck by bullets. A Summit Metro Parks officer suffered minor injuries.
Edwards was taken into custody after a brief foot chase through a residential block. Witnesses described a blur of sirens, gunshots and metal flipping over as the pursuit roared past homes and greens.
Traffic stop turns violent after Hudson crash
Investigators identified Edwards as the driver and said he was wanted on an attempted murder charge out of Canton, according to reporting by the Akron Beacon Journal. Troopers say they first spotted his SUV in Hudson and tried to pull him over.
Instead of stopping, Edwards allegedly ran a red light and slammed into another vehicle at State Route 91 and Terex Road, injuring people in the other car, troopers said. He then bailed out, ran into a wooded area and, according to investigators, fired at a pursuing trooper. The trooper fired back, but authorities say no one was hit in that exchange.
Carjacking and wild ride across Fox Den
After slipping away from the initial scene, Edwards allegedly carjacked a second vehicle, this time a minivan, and led officers straight onto the grounds of Fox Den Golf Course in Stow. Motorists and golfers watched a police chase suddenly cut across fairways, sand traps and cart paths, according to News 5 Cleveland.
Video circulating online showed cruisers following the minivan as it weaved across the course before bolting back out into surrounding neighborhood streets. Multiple agencies joined the pursuit, including the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Stow police and Hudson officers.
Crash flips park cruiser, suspect tries to hide
The chase came to a violent stop when the minivan hit a Summit Metro Parks cruiser at Saybrooke Boulevard and Bunker Lane, flipping the park vehicle onto its roof and into a nearby yard, as reported by Cleveland.com.
Summit Metro Parks officials said the officer inside suffered minor injuries. Witnesses told reporters the driver jumped out of the wrecked minivan and took off on foot, trying to hide behind a nearby home. Stow officers quickly tracked him down and arrested him.
Shaken golfers, rattled neighbors
The chaos left neighbors and golfers swapping stunned stories on sidewalks and in clubhouses. Several people said they watched the minivan tear across the course and seriously worried someone would get hit, according to News 5 Cleveland.
Police say that despite shots being fired during the incident, no members of the public and no officers were struck by gunfire. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is leading the investigation, as agencies work through cruiser video, cellphone clips and witness statements.
Investigation and possible charges ahead
Edwards was already wanted on an attempted murder charge out of Canton before Tuesday night’s pursuit. The Highway Patrol will head the broader probe into the multi-jurisdiction chase and crashes, with prosecutors expected to review the case once troopers and local police finish gathering evidence, per News 5 Cleveland.
Officials have not yet said what additional charges could be filed in connection with the carjacking, collisions or gunfire. For now, investigators are sorting through a sprawling, golf-course-to-suburb crime scene that played out in front of a whole lot of unprepared onlookers.
