Eagan PD deploys 'Grappler' tool for first time to stop police chase

'The Grappler' deployed in Eagan police pursuit

Eagan police are utilizing a new tool to safely bring pursuits to an end. FOX 9's Babs Santos has the full report.

EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - This summer, the Eagan Police Department added a new tool to help them more safely pull over fleeing vehicles.

It addresses a problem the department says officers face almost weekly: drivers refusing to stop for police.

Up until now, officers often terminated pursuits to avoid dangerous situations on the road. The latest option is already getting a lot of attention on social media.

Eagan PD gets the Grappler

Eagan police discuss 'Grappler' use during pursuit

An Eagan police sergeant spoke live about the first use of the "Grappler" during a pursuit over the weekend.

How it works:

Eagan police announced over the summer it had become the first agency in Minnesota to add the Grappler device to its fleet.

The tool is like something out of a Batman comic. The device is attached to the police squad and extends a net that gets caught up in a fleeing vehicle's tire. Once caught, the Grappler functions like a tow strap, preventing the fleeing vehicle from getting away.

The Grappler strap is so strong it yanked the axle off a vehicle in Michigan when the driver kept trying to drive away after getting caught.

Eagan police now have two of the Grappler devices. Each unit costs about $5,000.

What they're saying:

"To our knowledge, we’re the only agency in the state of Minnesota that has one and this was our first deployment," Eagan Police Training Sergeant Jake Peterson told FOX 9. "This is a huge game-changer for us because vehicle pursuits are inherently dangerous and we choose not to pursue vehicles as often as we can," 

First deployment in Minnesota

Eagan Police deploy 'The Grappler' for first time

For the first time in Minnesota, "The Grappler" was safely deployed and stopped a fleeing vehicle during a police pursuit. Eagan police successfully used the new tool to end a pursuit after a driver refused to stop for a red light on Friday, August 30. The female driver was apprehended after a brief foot chase and faces multiple charges, including fleeing police.

Local perspective:

On Wednesday, Eagan police shared a video of the first deployment of the Grappler in Minnesota.

On Saturday afternoon, police were trying to stop a Toyota Tundra towing a U-Haul trailer when the driver sped off. Police say the driver led officers on a pursuit into St. Paul. Officers were able to deploy the Grappler and bring the chase to an end at Otto Avenue and Shepard Road.

The video shows the squad move up on the trailer and attach the Grappler, forcing the truck to stop. Police say the driver was arrested after a brief foot chase on charges of fleeing police in a motor vehicle, fleeing police on foot, driving after revocation, no proof of insurance, and failure to obey a traffic control device.

The backstory:

Before purchasing the Grappler, officers relied on maneuvers like PITs or spike strips — tactics that can be risky and damaging. The Grappler, on the other hand, stops vehicles without causing major damage to either car involved.

"We choose to terminate a lot of our pursuits simply because we didn’t previously have a lot of safe ways to stop them," Peterson said.