The most iconic car chases in movie history are both thrilling and fun, thanks to crazy stunts and hard-hitting collisions. But in reality, they’re dangerous for everyone involved, and can not only result in thousands of dollars of damage, but also serious injury, or worse. That’s why police departments around the U.S. are increasing their usage of a device that can help nip these chases in the bud.
Known as the Grappler Police Bumper, this device mounts to the front fender of a law enforcement vehicle. Activating it deploys a strong net that wraps around the rear tire of the vehicle directly in front of the officer. The net brings the fleeing car to a safe and controlled stop, reducing the likelihood of damage or serious injury. The net is reusable and only takes a few minutes to reload. As of 2024, around 40 to 50 law enforcement agencies in the U.S. were using the Grappler. More have joined the party, with the Las Vegas Metropolitan PD, the Kane County Illinois Sheriff’s Department, and the Frisco PD in Texas, all starting to use the device in 2025 and 2026.
In February 2026, Splendora police in Texas used the device to end a high-speed car chase, as reported by outlets including Fox 26 Houston. The chase began after a driver fled from a traffic stop, reaching nearly 90 mph in the moments that followed. After the Grappler was successfully deployed, the car was brought to a quick stop. There were no injuries to the officer, the suspect, or the passengers in the fleeing car.
The story behind the Grappler
The Grappler pursuit prevention system was first developed in 2016 by Leonard Stock. Stock created the device to help protect innocent people from being injured during high-speed car chases. Stock built a working prototype and posted a YouTube video of the Grappler in action that same year. The video went viral, leading to law enforcement agencies adopting the technology for their own use just a few years later.
Border Patrol first used the Grappler in 2018, and its popularity just skyrocketed from there. In 2023, Stock reflected on the device’s popularity in an interview with Fox 10 Phoenixstating that “I think when it was more widely used, that’s when people really saw the potential, and that’s when officers started going in, and troopers started going ‘oh man, this is a game changer.'” The Grappler’s popularity isn’t too surprising, considering what came before it.
Before the Grappler, the police used the Precision Immobilization Technique to end pursuits. It consists of a risky bump using a police car’s bull bar to the rear quarter of a fleeing vehicle, which ultimately causes that vehicle to spin out of control. Though it could be effective, it was also dangerous, both for the individuals involved and for other drivers as well. Tire spikes and other tire deflation devices were also used to incapacitate vehicles, although these came at a severe risk to officers and could even lead to fatalities.
