For the first time, the Garden City Police Department successfully used a new tool to end a dangerous pursuit — without ramming a vehicle or putting innocent drivers at risk.The device, called the Grappler Police Bumper, was put to the test last week when officers stopped a car linked to a Savannah home invasion. The technology mounts to the front of a patrol car and deploys a strap that wraps around a suspect’s tire, bringing the vehicle to a controlled stop.”The primary goal for us is trying to prevent high-speed pursuits and chases before they happen. And this is a tool that enables us to do that,” said Lt. Shane Glasco with Garden City Police.The Grappler was invented by Arizona engineer Leonard Stock and has been gaining national attention as police demonstration videos in other states go viral.”We’ve never had this much interest in the Grappler. We’re getting an email from an agency literally every few minutes throughout the day, and it’s just all of a sudden hit,” Stock said.In Garden City’s case, the device worked exactly as intended.”There were no injuries sustained by the officer or the suspect when that grapple was conducted, and we were able to apprehend the suspect,” police said.Officials say the Grappler gives officers a safer alternative to traditional high-speed chases — reducing the risk of crashes and protecting the public.Stock says more than 100 departments nationwide are now using the Grappler, with over 1,500 successful stops recorded so far.WJCL 22 reached out to other local agencies, including Chatham County and Pooler police, to see if they plan to add the Grappler to their fleets. We didn’t immediately hear back.
GARDEN CITY, Ga. —
For the first time, the Garden City Police Department successfully used a new tool to end a dangerous pursuit — without ramming a vehicle or putting innocent drivers at risk.
The device, called the Grappler Police Bumper, was put to the test last week when officers stopped a car linked to a Savannah home invasion. The technology mounts to the front of a patrol car and deploys a strap that wraps around a suspect’s tire, bringing the vehicle to a controlled stop.
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“The primary goal for us is trying to prevent high-speed pursuits and chases before they happen. And this is a tool that enables us to do that,” said Lt. Shane Glasco with Garden City Police.
The Grappler was invented by Arizona engineer Leonard Stock and has been gaining national attention as police demonstration videos in other states go viral.
“We’ve never had this much interest in the Grappler. We’re getting an email from an agency literally every few minutes throughout the day, and it’s just all of a sudden hit,” Stock said.
In Garden City’s case, the device worked exactly as intended.
“There were no injuries sustained by the officer or the suspect when that grapple was conducted, and we were able to apprehend the suspect,” police said.
Officials say the Grappler gives officers a safer alternative to traditional high-speed chases — reducing the risk of crashes and protecting the public.
Stock says more than 100 departments nationwide are now using the Grappler, with over 1,500 successful stops recorded so far.
WJCL 22 reached out to other local agencies, including Chatham County and Pooler police, to see if they plan to add the Grappler to their fleets. We didn’t immediately hear back.
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