DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — A fairly new device that helps police gain the upper hand during a pursuit was recently used by the Colorado State Patrol to remove a “dangerous driver” from the road.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office released on Tuesday a video showing a CSP trooper deploy what is called a Grappler to stop a vehicle during a pursuit on Interstate 25 near Larkspur Friday morning.
The incident started after the Douglas County Sheriff's Office responded to I-25 on reports of a person driving erratically and hitting the center median barrier going 75 mph, the sheriff's office said.
A deputy pursued the vehicle southbound until a Colorado State Patrol unit, using the Grappler technology, safely stopped the suspect near Larkspur.
The driver, who has not been identified, was taken into custody without injury, the sheriff’s office said.
A Grappler Police Bumper consists of cables that are extended out from the front of a police vehicle and attach to the suspect’s car.
Leonard Stock, a roofing contractor at the time, developed the device after watching pursuit shows, he told Scripps News Denver last year.
The Colorado State Patrol told Scripps News Denver that it has rolled out 26 of the devices statewide, with 72 successful "grapples" since August 2021, and no injuries have occurred so far.
Douglas County also uses Grappler-equipped vehicles, though none were close enough to assist directly with Friday's incident, according to the sheriff’s office.
Additionally, more than 50 agencies across the country utilize the Grappler, according to Stock, with over 600 successful grapples.
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