The Grappler: a new tool designed to help police stop and prevent vehicle pursuits

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A thump, screeching tires, and a stop.

That's the future of bringing pursuits to an end – or preventing them altogether – and it's all thanks to a new tool being rolled out by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

The department said it began testing the Grappler system last March. It was the first agency in the state to use it. In the months since, it has been deployed 40 times. In some cases, it's been used to bring pursuits to an end. In others, it's been preemptively deployed to prevent suspects from running in the first place.

"The best thing about the grappler system is that it's a preventative. It actually prevents pursuits," said Lieutenant Jason Santistevan, with the department's Special Enforcement Bureau.

Lt. Santistevan said in this year alone, the department has had eight deployments of the system. Four of those deployments were preemptive, as deputies put them on the cars of homicide suspects to prevent them from running.

He also pointed to a recent example, where a reckless driving suspect was running from deputies. He turned onto a freeway offramp, driving the wrong way, when a deputy equipped with the device shut it down before innocent motorists were put in harm's way.

"Our K-9 handler within seconds was able to grapple the vehicle as he was turning on the off ramp, getting the car to come to a complete stop, which ultimately prevented a possible fatal traffic collision," Lt. Santistevan said.

It essentially uses a net to entangle itself in the rear wheels of the a car. A durable tether is attached to the front bumper of a heavy patrol unit, like the Chevy Tahoes they're currently deployed on. The pursuing deputy hits the brakes, and both vehicles come to a stop.

I had a chance to experience both perspectives: in the car being stopped, and in the Chevy Tahoe equipped with the Grappler system. The deputies who were driving had some insight on what it felt like.

When asked about how it feels on the receiving end, Deputy Stapleton, driving the car, said simply, "It just feels like you’ve been rear ended."

We accelerated to about 35 MPH during the demonstration, sirens growing louder as the patrol car behind us inched closer, hungry for the car's rear axle. What followed: a bump, exactly as Stapleton described, and then a sudden, but manageable, deceleration as the unit behind us slammed on the brakes to slow both cars down.

The tether system is designed to be gradual, rather than a sudden, jerky motion, helping officers with control as they bring pursuits to an end.

On the other side, I rode with Deputy Orlik. As we put on our seatbelts, he said, "It is going to be very interesting to see how, like, uncomfortably close you end up getting to the other car."

His description was spot on. Much like a PIT maneuver, the deputy drove up right to the rear bumper of the car. Instead of spinning the vehicle around, though, he got close enough for the net to tangle itself into the car's wheels, and the Grappler did its thing.

Lt. Santistevan pointed out that the Grappler is a safer option compared to other pursuit tactics. While there's always inherent risk with vehicle pursuits – especially for armed suspects – the benefit of the Grappler system is the amount of control law enforcement has.

"There's no way to 100% conduct a technique that is soundproof, that doesn't put our life in danger. Every every pursuit we're in, it's dangerous no matter what," explained the deputy. "However, I will tell you that the Grappler system is safer than the PIT maneuver because we control the vehicle. We get the car to stop. When we get the car to stop, the car is facing forward. When we do a PIT maneuver, there's damage that is incurred by that. The car spins around and most times that car is facing us now."

Once the Grappler system is used, it can be replaced in just minutes. In the span of a little less than an hour, deputies were able to run the demonstration three times.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department has been supportive of the new technology, according to Lt. Santistevan.

"Any technology that's out there right now that can help law enforcement do their job safely and effectively, as well as protect the public, the sheriff's department and our sheriff, Chad Bianco, completely supports us in moving it to those innovative techniques," said the lieutenant.

Ten units are currently in service with the device equipped. It has grown since testing began, when the department rolled out two. By July of this year, the department's goal is to have 16 K-9 officers all ready to use the Grappler.