According to wvnews.com, the U.S. Marshals Service has given 13 members of the CUFFED Task Force in the Southern District of West Virginia the Distinguished Group Award for their prompt and professional efforts during a high-stakes fugitive investigation. They were recognized for their contribution to the apprehension of a murder suspect who was suspected of killing a Maryland parole agent in Montgomery County, Maryland, at the 43rd Director’s Honorary Awards presentation.
In Montgomery County (Chevy Chase), Emanuel Sewell, 55, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, was charged on May 31, 2024, with ambushing and killing Maryland Parole Agent Davis Geovanni Martinez as he was conducting a home inspection. Convicted sex offender Sewell was immediately the focus of a national manhunt.
The U.S. Marshals Southern District of West Virginia CUFFED Task Force was notified of Sewell’s whereabouts the very next day, June 1, 2024. In order to locate Sewell in the Hurricane, West Virginia, area, the crew promptly mobilized and used tracking techniques, surveillance film analysis, and interviews.
When task force police and deputy U.S. marshals located Sewell’s car on Interstate 64, the pursuit came to an end. The task team utilized a vehicle confinement technique to halt him when he wouldn’t stop. After successfully removing Sewell from his car, they arrested him. Only ninety minutes after the initial lead, the full apprehension occurred.
“The actions of these Deputy Marshals and Task Force Officers in the apprehension of this violent fugitive exemplify the very best of the United States Marshals Service and the CUFFED Task Force,” said U.S. Marshal Michael T. Baylous, in a statement commended by WSAZ3.com. He emphasized their professionalism, cooperation, and bravery in the face of adversity, which he claimed not only secured justice for Parole Agent Martinez but also protected community safety. Baylous went on to say that he was proud of their commitment and felt privileged to call them his brothers.
