Attempted Murder Suspect’s Wild Ohio Chase Tears Across Golf Course Before Arrest
A quiet evening at an Ohio golf course suddenly turned into the kind of scene golfers normally only joke about after a bad tee shot. Police say 39-year-old Julius Edwards, a Canton man wanted in connection with an attempted murder investigation, led officers on a chaotic multi-agency chase Tuesday night that spilled onto Fox Den Golf Course in Stow. The pursuit included two separate chases, a serious crash, alleged gunfire at a trooper, an alleged carjacking, and a final collision with a Summit Metro Parks cruiser before Edwards was arrested.
Authorities said the case began earlier Tuesday in Canton, where officers responded around 6 a.m. to a home on 15th Street SW after a mother reported that her daughter had been stabbed by her boyfriend. Cleveland 19, citing a Canton police report, reported that officers found a 33-year-old woman stabbed 15 times and that first responders rushed her to Aultman Hospital for treatment. Edwards was later identified by police as the suspect.
A Manhunt Turns Into Two Police Pursuits
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said troopers were told at about 3:21 p.m. to watch for a gray Kia Telluride driven by Edwards after he allegedly fled from Canton police and the U.S. Marshals Service. Hours later, Flock cameras located the vehicle around 7:27 p.m. on Darrow Road in Hudson. Troopers tried to stop the Kia, but investigators said it did not pull over.
That first pursuit quickly turned dangerous. According to the highway patrol, Edwards failed to stop at a red light at Terex Road, causing a serious-injury crash involving multiple victims. News 5 Cleveland reported that Samantha Hicks and her daughter were among those caught in the collision. Hicks described watching the scene unfold as “wild,” adding that she heard gunshots but did not immediately realize what they were.
Police said Edwards then got out of the Kia and ran. The highway patrol said he fired at the pursuing trooper, who returned fire, before Edwards disappeared into nearby woods. Officers established a perimeter, but the chase was not over. Investigators said that just before 8:25 p.m., troopers spotted Edwards again, this time driving a stolen silver Chrysler Town & Country that he had allegedly carjacked.
Golfers Suddenly Find Themselves In The Middle Of It
The second pursuit lasted about 10 minutes and involved multiple agencies, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. At one point, the chase moved onto Fox Den Golf Course in Stow, where players were still on the course and suddenly had far more to worry about than bunkers, water hazards, or missed putts.
Video shared with News 5 Cleveland showed the pursuit cutting through the golf course. Logan Congrove and Joe Messina were among the golfers nearby when the minivan came barreling through. Congrove said the vehicle was coming toward them and recalled telling his girlfriend, “You got to move over.” Messina summed up the escape in two words: “extremely lucky.”
Another golfer, Ben Hyle, told News 5 the whole thing felt “unreal.” He said he was near the 18th hole when he saw the van followed by six or eight cruisers and reacted with a stunned “Holy cow!” Police eventually ordered golfers to clear the course for safety.
For nearby residents, the chase did not stay neatly inside the course either. Michael Burrows, who lives next to Fox Den, said the sirens sounded as if they were in his yard. Then, as he put it, they were.
How The Chase Finally Ended
The pursuit ended near Saybrooke Boulevard and Bunker Lane in Stow. Investigators said Edwards crashed into a Summit Metro Parks police cruiser, causing it to roll over. Summit Metro Parks said the officer in the cruiser saw the vehicle approaching and jumped out shortly before impact. News 5 reported that body-worn camera footage showed just eight seconds passed between the officer exiting the cruiser and the collision.
The Summit Metro Parks officer suffered minor injuries, according to the highway patrol. No other law enforcement officers were reported injured, and investigators told News 5 that the people hurt in the earlier crash were expected to recover. Edwards allegedly tried to run after the final crash but was captured by Stow police officers and Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers.
Cleveland 19 reported that Edwards was being held in the Summit County Jail after the arrest. The victim’s family thanked the Canton Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Stow Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, EMS crews, emergency room staff, trauma surgeons and nurses, praising their “professionalism, courage, and commitment” and the medical team’s “skill, compassion, and dedication.”
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said the incident “remains under investigation.” Edwards has been accused by authorities in connection with the violent chain of events, but the case is still moving through the legal process.
