A Michigan woman who had already escaped police three separate times was finally taken into custody after another pursuit ended at a landfill, where officers boxed in her vehicle and discovered nine firearms inside, according to a bodycam video released by the YouTube channel Midwest Safety.
The incident unfolded on Feb. 25, 2026, and involved 54-year-old Stacey Sears, who authorities said had been wanted after multiple fleeing-and-eluding incidents and had also allegedly threatened police during repeated 911 calls. By the time officers moved in again, they were treating the situation as both a dangerous pursuit and a possible armed confrontation.
Midwest Safety’s narrator said police had received information suggesting Sears might have a handgun, and the bodycam footage shows officers trying to balance that concern with the risk of continuing a high-speed pursuit through public roads.
Officers Try To Stop Her Again
The latest attempt began after officers spotted the vehicle and had what they considered a valid traffic violation for speeding, although the initial approach was cautious because no marked patrol unit was immediately in position to make the stop.
Once an officer tried to pull the vehicle over, the situation escalated quickly.
“She’s fleeing from me,” an officer reported over the radio as speeds climbed to around 70 mph.
The pursuing units noted that the vehicle had no visible plate and a damaged passenger-side window, while dispatch traffic also included information about an alleged threat involving Taylor police and the sound of a gun being racked in the background of a call.
At one point, officers terminated the active pursuit and began following at normal traffic speeds, apparently trying to reduce the danger to other motorists while still keeping track of Sears.
The bodycam audio suggests Sears repeatedly slowed down with her hazard lights on and appeared ready to stop, only to accelerate again whenever officers moved closer.
One officer described it as baiting them.
That pattern made the chase especially difficult because police were trying not to be drawn into a reckless pursuit while also dealing with a driver they already believed had fled several times before.
The Chase Moves Through A Yard And Toward A Landfill
The pursuit became more dangerous after Sears pulled into a residence and drove into the backyard.
Officers rushed toward the vehicle and repeatedly ordered her to get out, but she instead drove through a fence and escaped again.
One officer reported that she had nearly hit him during the maneuver.
The chase then continued through local roads before Sears entered the Carleton Farms Landfill, where the environment changed from public streets to a maze of industrial roads, equipment and heavy machinery.
Midwest Safety’s footage shows officers trying to coordinate positions while warning one another that Sears might attempt to ram patrol vehicles.
At one point, an officer said she had nearly struck a K9 unit, while another warned, “She’s trying to ram them all.”
That was one of the moments where the pursuit stopped looking like a routine attempt to catch a fleeing driver and became something much more serious, because officers were now dealing with a vehicle being used in a way that could easily cause major injuries.
Heavy Equipment Helps Box Her In
Inside the landfill, Sears drove up a trash hill and eventually reached an area where bulldozers and other heavy equipment limited her path forward.
She turned around and headed back toward officers, while law enforcement continued trying to block off the available exits.
Workers at the landfill also helped close off the entrance, according to the account shown in the video, leaving Sears with fewer places to go.
Eventually, several vehicles managed to trap her car.
Officers surrounded the vehicle and repeatedly ordered Sears to unlock the doors and get out.
She did not immediately comply.
The bodycam footage captures officers shouting commands from several directions while trying to break into the vehicle without getting caught in a crossfire or putting themselves in the path of the car.
One officer smashed a rear window, another warned others to watch their weapons, and Sears was eventually Tased before being pulled from the vehicle and placed in handcuffs.
It is a chaotic arrest, but the footage also shows why officers were so cautious. They believed Sears could be armed, they had just watched her allegedly use the vehicle aggressively, and there were numerous officers positioned around the car at close range.
Three Officers Suffer Minor Injuries
The arrest did not end without injuries.
Midwest Safety’s narrator said three Huron Township officers suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
One officer complained about having glass in his eye after the vehicle window was broken, while another said his hand hurt from trying to punch through the glass.
After Sears was secured, bodycam audio recorded her yelling at officers, insulting them and making several statements about her family, including references to firearms that she said had belonged to her deceased brother.
She also complained about being hurt and said she needed medication.
The officers, meanwhile, continued checking one another for injuries and discussed what had happened during the chase, including the earlier moment when Sears allegedly drove toward them at the residence.
The footage gives a sense of how physically exhausting and unpredictable the arrest had become by that stage, particularly after several failed attempts to stop the same driver.
Police Find Nine Firearms In The Vehicle
The most significant discovery came after the arrest.
Midwest Safety reported that a search of Sears’ vehicle uncovered nine firearms, including loaded handguns and rifles equipped with scopes.
That finding added weight to the earlier concern that she might be armed and helps explain why officers treated the final stop as a high-risk arrest.
Sears was charged with third-degree fleeing and eluding police, carrying a concealed weapon, misuse of emergency 911 service and reckless driving, according to the channel’s narration.
She was initially held on a $100,000 bond after a magistrate determined that she posed a danger to the community.
A mental competency evaluation was also ordered after police and family members raised concerns about her mental health, with the court seeking to determine whether she could understand the charges and assist in her own defense.
As always, those charges remain allegations unless and until proven in court.
A Fourth Chase Ends Differently
Midwest Safety framed the incident as the final chapter in a series of escapes, after Sears had allegedly fled police three previous times before this pursuit.
By the fourth encounter, officers had a much clearer understanding of the risk they were facing, and the response involved coordination across multiple agencies and a much larger police presence than an ordinary traffic stop.
The eventual arrest did not come through a dramatic high-speed takedown on an open road, but through containment, patience and the fact that Sears finally entered a location where officers and landfill equipment could eliminate her escape routes.
That ending is notable because the pursuit could easily have gone another way.
A driver accused of fleeing repeatedly, allegedly threatening officers and carrying multiple firearms creates a situation where every attempt to stop the vehicle carries the risk of a collision, shooting or injury to bystanders.
Instead, the chase ended with Sears in custody, three officers suffering only minor injuries and no reported deaths.
For police, the final stop brought an end to a sequence that had already stretched across several encounters and jurisdictions, while the discovery of nine firearms inside the vehicle ensured that the case would extend well beyond the fleeing charge that first brought officers after her.
Mark grew up in the heart of Texas, where tornadoes and extreme weather were a part of life. His early experiences sparked a fascination with emergency preparedness and homesteading. A father of three, Mark is dedicated to teaching families how to be self-sufficient, with a focus on food storage, DIY projects, and energy independence. His writing empowers everyday people to take small steps toward greater self-reliance without feeling overwhelmed.
