An alleged Michigan car thief got more than he bargained for when police used the latest in pursuit technology to attach their cruiser to his escaping car and rip off his rear axle as he tried to get away.
Suburban Detroit’s Livonia Police Department on Friday released impressive video of their use of the device called the “Grappler,” which resulted in the arrest of a 27-year-old man and his passengers.
The incident began at 7:25 a.m. Thursday when Michigan State Police (MSP) troopers on patrol in the city of Detroit saw a Chevrolet Cruze that had been reported stolen, according to MSP’s post on X.
When the stolen car refused to stop, troopers followed the vehicle onto the freeway into the city of Livonia, where they knew the local police department had the Grappler device.
Soon, Livonia police joined in the pursuit.
The Grappler, demonstrated in a video on the company’s website, extends from the bumper of the pursuing police car and wraps around the wheel of the escaping car, tethering the vehicle to the cops with a long, unbreakable line.
Once the Livonia police SUV “grappled” the Chevrolet, there was no getting away. Several times the driver backed up and tried to break the attached nylon line, only to end up ripping off the rear axle of the car.
The driver, a Brighton, Michigan man, was arrested on a warrant for probation violation and for possession of a stolen car, police reported. Two women were also in the vehicle and were arrested after officers determined they had several outstanding warrants from different jurisdictions.
According to the company’s website, the Grappler Police Bumper is in use in 70 departments around the U.S. and has successfully been used to stop more than 600 suspects.
The company says it helps eliminate the dangers inherent in police pursuits which put other motorists and pedestrians at risk.
The U.S. Border Patrol has also used the device to stop fleeing illegal aliens at the southern border.
Said MSP Lt. Mike Shaw, “We continue to use technology to find and stop criminals in our communities.”
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
