COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Colorado State Patrol has recently released dash camera footage of a tool used in police chases.
The dash camera footage released was of three incidents involving suspects in Police between 2021 and 2022. According to State Patrol, the agency has a total of 24 Grappler Police Bumper tools located across the state including Colorado Springs.
The state patrol says that the tool has been used to complete 75 stops since August 2021. While the tool is still in use state patrol says they have seen a downward trend in auto thefts since 2023 that has continued into 2024.
According to the Colorado Auto Theft Annual Report of 2023, there was a 21% decrease in reported stolen vehicles by volume in 2023. Totaling 8,680 fewer thefts than in 2022.
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Below are the three incidents where the Grappler tool was used in Colorado Springs.
Video 1: Black Jeep Stopped, March 28, 2022.
BATTLE South Investigators located a stolen Jeep out of Colorado Springs. The Grappler was deployed stopping the vehicle at South Union Boulevard and Hancock Expressway. The suspect was charged with motor vehicle theft and sentenced to three years with the Colorado Department of Corrections.
Video 2: Black Hyundai, July 29, 2022.
Colorado Springs Police located the stolen vehicle and a Grappler deployment was orchestrated to prevent the vehicle from fleeing. Police were able to bring the vehicle to a stop at the intersection of Lake Avenue and Venetucci Boulevard. The suspect was charged with motor vehicle theft but the case was dismissed by the district attorney's office.
Video 3: White Mitsubishi. August 2, 2021.
BATTLE South Investigators located a Mitsubishi that was stolen from Pueblo a few days earlier. According to police, the vehicle had fled during an attempted traffic stop the evening prior. A Grappler deployment was arranged and the vehicle was stopped at the instruction of Academy Boulevard and Platte Avenue. The suspect was charged with motor vehicle theft and sentenced to 15 months with the department of corrections.
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