New 'Grappler' Tool Aims to End High-Speed Chases

Riverside County deputies are using a bumper-mounted device called the Grappler to stop fleeing vehicles by snagging a rear wheel with a net and tethering the suspect car to a patrol SUV. The Riverside County Sheriff's Office began testing the system in March 2025 and said it was the first law enforcement agency in California to use it. (kesq.com) By March 25, 2026, the department said the device had been deployed 40 times, including in cases where deputies lowered it before a stop to keep a suspect from fleeing at all. The system has become part of Riverside County's response to the risks of police pursuits, which remain a deadly part of traffic enforcement nationwide. A recent JAMA Network Open study using federal crash data and a separate fatal police pursuits database said police pursuits account for about 1% of U.S. motor vehicle fatalities and expose suspects, officers and bystanders to preventable harm. (media.rivcocob.org) Riverside County officials say the Grappler offers a way to reduce those risks, though broader evidence on crash reduction is still developing. ### How does the Grappler actually stop a car? The Grappler is mounted on the front bumper of a patrol vehicle and deploys a heavy-duty net toward the rear wheel of the vehicle ahead, Riverside County's board documents and local television reports said. (kesq.com) Once the net entangles the wheel, a tether links the suspect vehicle to the patrol unit, and the deputy brakes to bring both vehicles to a controlled stop. Deputy Stapleton told KESQ that being caught by the device "just feels like you've been rear ended" during a demonstration at about 35 mph. KESQ reported that Riverside deputies are currently using the system on heavier patrol vehicles such as Chevy Tahoes. (pursuitforchange.org) ### Why is Riverside County using it before some traffic stops begin? Lt. Jason Santistevan of the sheriff's Special Enforcement Bureau told KESQ that the "best thing" about the system is that "it's a preventative." He said that, by March 25, Riverside had eight deployments in 2026 alone and that four were preemptive uses on vehicles tied to homicide suspects before deputies activated lights and sirens. (media.rivcocob.org) CBS Los Angeles reported on March 11 that Santistevan said the pilot program had gone well enough that the department was installing Grapplers on all of its K-9 cars. Corporal Brian Conroy told the station he had already deployed the tool 10 times in two months and called it the most effective pursuit tool he had seen. (kesq.com) A Goodyear, Arizona, police policy published in March 2026 defines "preemptive grappler deployment" as positioning or readying the device before a vehicle actively flees when officers believe the driver is likely to evade and early capture would reduce risk. The policy says school zones should be avoided and heavily populated pedestrian areas should be treated as a last resort. (kesq.com) ### What has happened when Riverside deputies used it in real cases? On April 8, 2026, Riverside County deputies tried to stop a grand theft suspect in Jurupa Valley after locating the driver near Pat's Ranch Road and Limonite Avenue, according to a sheriff's release. Deputies said the suspect fled, the K-9 unit attempted to deploy the Grappler near Bellegrave Avenue and Etiwanda Avenue, and the deployment was unsuccessful before the vehicle crashed into a wall on Antigua Drive. (cbsnews.com) The sheriff's office said the suspect later refused commands to exit, crisis negotiators responded, and deputies eventually found the person with injuries consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In another case described in a Perris station release, deputies said the Grappler was deployed during an April 13, 2026 pursuit and brought the chase to an end near Harvill Avenue and Oleander Avenue. (public.powerdms.com) ### What evidence is there that it reduces harm? Riverside County's January 13, 2026 board agenda said the Grappler was identified as a way to enhance deputy and public safety and reduce property damage tied to traditional pursuit intervention techniques. The same county document said the sheriff's office viewed the device as the only known tool that could immobilize a suspect vehicle before a traffic stop, reducing the likelihood of a pursuit. (riversidesheriff.org) National evidence on whether the tool cuts crashes is less settled. A May 2026 JAMA Network Open study said contemporary estimates of police-pursuit deaths remain limited and that pursuits expose multiple groups to preventable harm, while federal guidance from the Justice Department's COPS Office and NHTSA says agencies still need accurate reporting and analysis of pursuit outcomes. (riversidesheriff.org) Those findings do not evaluate the Grappler specifically, but they show why departments and outside researchers are focused on better pursuit data. ### What comes next in Riverside County? Riverside County's Board of Supervisors voted on January 13, 2026 to authorize purchase orders with Stock Enterprises, LLC for the Grappler system for five years through December 31, 2030, with a total aggregate amount of $500,000 from the sheriff's general fund budget. (media.rivcocob.org) The board document says the current fiscal-year cost is $100,000. The sheriff's office has not published a standalone countywide Grappler results report on its main press release pages that was visible in the materials reviewed here. For now, the next public markers are likely to come through future board records, sheriff incident releases and additional deployments on Riverside County's K-9 fleet. (media.rivcocob.org) (pursuitforchange.org)