DPS troopers deploy grappler to stop Mesa street racing suspects
DPS uses grappler to stop street racing suspect
The Arizona Department of Public Safety shared footage of the grappler device stopping a Mesa street racing suspect on June 10. "During an incident at an intersection in Mesa, one of the involved drivers struck a pedestrian participant and then fled the scene," DPS said. Here's the footage from the stop.
MESA, Ariz. - Officials with the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) are talking about their recent use of a device to bring a vehicle to a safe stop.
The incident happened on June 10, according to officials, but a statement detailing what happened was released on June 26. Officials say DPS Troopers, along with other Street Racing Task Force partners, responded to reports of vehicle involved in intersection takeovers across the Phoenix area.
"During an incident at an intersection in Mesa, one of the involved drivers struck a pedestrian participant and then fled the scene," read a portion of the statement.
DPS officials say the suspect car was eventually tracked down, and a DPS sergeant deployed the Grappler Police Bumper, which netted one of the car's rear tires, and brought the car to a stop.
"The driver and passenger, both 17-year-old males, were detained, and cited for street racing and the vehicle was impounded," read a portion of the statement.
What is the Grappler Police Bumper?
We first profiled the Grappler Police Bumper in 2016.
In that report, the Grappler was described as a device that works by using a heavy-duty nylon net that can be lowered from the front of the pursuing police vehicle with the touch of a button to snag the rear tire of the suspect vehicle, wrapping around the axle.
Once the Grappler has a hold of the suspect vehicle, the officer can then release a tether from the police car and back away to a safe distance. Within a few seconds, the car comes to a controlled stop without the officer having to force a collision.
Read more: Grappler: What you need to know about a technology being used to end police pursuits
Are there other instances where the Grappler was used in Arizona?
This is not the first time the Grappler was deployed by law enforcement officials in Arizona.
In May 2023, Mesa Police officials say their officers used the Grappler to stop a suspected wrong-way driver on a freeway.
In July 2022, Mesa Police officials say a stolen vehicle was stopped using the same device.
In April 2022, Phoenix Police officers were seen deploying the device during a police pursuit that ended on the I-10 in the East Valley.
In 2021, DPS officials announced that one of their troopers deployed the device during a pursuit that was taking place in the southeastern portion of the state.