Police think this contraption can bring high-speed chases to an end

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It was on a Sunday morning in mid-March when Riverside County sheriff’s personnel attempted a vehicle stop at Perris Boulevard and Iris Avenue in Moreno Valley.The driver sped away.But deputies also had a trick up their sleeve — a secret weapon that is part grappling gun, part lasso.The device, known as the Grappler, was released from where it was installed on the front bumper of a sheriff’s vehicle and onto the fleeing suspect’s back tires.

Within seconds, the vehicle was halted off the 60 Freeway exit at Country Village Road, and the suspect was left as powerless as a rodeo calf on its side.“That move, that grapple, prevented him from driving on the wrong side and potentially from crashing into another vehicle,” said Riverside County sheriff’s Lt.Jason Santistevan.For the deputy, that success confirmed the effectiveness of a system he had persuaded the department to adopt.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department joins a growing number of law enforcement agencies trying out a relatively new technology in an attempt to curb chases and the injuries and deaths that can follow.Santistevan said he is determined to reduce bystander casualties.The Grappler is generating excitement in some corners of law enforcement as officials look for new ways to deal with high-speed pursuits.

Faced with innocent bystanders being hurt — even killed — during the chases, some agencies have at times called off pursuits in the interest of safety.Spike strips rolled onto roadways in front of pursued cars work sometimes, as does the “PIT maneuver,” in which patrol cruisers tap the suspect’s car in an effort to cause it to spin out and come to a stop.It has fans in law enforcement as well as those who say the jury is still out on how effective this tool will be.The California Highway Patrol reported 13,627 pursuits in 2023, with 19% (2,593) resulting in a crash.

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