Quick thinking and reaction helped a Leetsdale police officer stop a burglary suspect in a nearby borough.
Patrolman Steve Impell was recently recognized for his efforts in assisting Edgeworth police on Nov. 6.
Edgeworth police Chief John Burlett told TribLive that officers responded to a burglary report along Oliver Road around 8:40 a.m. that morning.
A homeowner called police because she saw two masked men trying to break in through her back door.
The woman was not home, but spotted the suspects through a remotely monitored security camera, Burlett said.
When he arrived along with Officer Russ Hartzell, the men ran.
Hartzell chased the suspects — hopping fences between Oliver Road and Maple Lane, according to Burlett.
One of the suspects was stopped at Maple Lane, he said, after a man who was working from home came outside and tackled him, allowing Hartzell to handcuff him.
Impell responded to the area of Edgeworth and Maple lanes to assist in searching for one of the suspects who had fled on foot.
Chief Burlett described Impell’s actions in a letter of gratitude to Leetsdale Police Chief Daniel Raible.
“Officer Impell positioned himself in an area that, through his training, he could better observe and predict the actor’s next move to avoid apprehension,” Burlett wrote.
Impell searched the surrounding vegetation and quickly found the man, who was crawling to avoid being apprehended. The officer was able to subdue the fleeing man.
“Officer Impell’s professionalism and unwavering determination to apprehend these suspects was clearly evident,” Burlett wrote. “If it wasn’t for Officer Impell, fortitude and resilience to predict where the actor may have been hiding, this arrest would not have occurred.”
A third man in what Burlett described as a possible getaway car was apprehended on Mt. Nebo Road by Ohio Township Police. He said an officer happened to be behind the car when police received a “be on the lookout” notice for the vehicle.
Names of the suspects were not released.
Leetsdale Mayor Sandra Ford presented Impell with a citation at a recent borough council meeting.
She said she was proud of Impell, who has been with the department for about two years.
