A law enforcement agency deployed a Grappler net device during a vehicle pursuit and the resulting footage captured the rear axle being torn from the fleeing car, bringing the chase to an immediate and definitive end.
The Grappler system works by deploying a net that wraps around the target vehicle’s rear axle when the pursuing officer makes contact at close range. In most deployments, the net entangles the axle and prevents wheel rotation. In cases where the driver applies aggressive throttle during the engagement, the forces involved can be enough to separate the axle assembly from the vehicle.
The footage showed exactly that scenario, with the rear suspension and axle of the fleeing car left in the road as the vehicle collapsed onto its rear frame rails. The dramatic visual generated significant attention when shared by the department.
The technology has been adopted by departments looking for pursuit intervention options that do not require the high-speed positioning that PIT maneuvers demand and that carry a lower risk of serious injury to the officers involved in the intervention.
The driver was unhurt and taken into custody immediately after the stop. Additional charges related to fleeing were added to the original offense that prompted the pursuit.
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