Watch Wash. Deputy Use Grappler to Stop Fleeing Armed Fugitive
A Washington deputy fired a Grappler device to stop a fleeing armed suspect speeding away in a smoking stolen vehicle last week.
The incident happened Nov. 6 when a Thurston County sheriff's deputy tried to pull over a stolen vehicle near Olympia, the agency stated in an online release that included footage from the deputy's dashboard camera. A chase ensued when the driver refused to stop, with speeds reaching up to 100 mph as smoke issued from the stolen vehicle's engine as the car veered in and out of oncoming traffic.
Once backup was in place and he was close enough, the deputy deployed his cruiser's Grappler device. The net wrapped around the vehicle, and it came to a halt when it spun into a fence.
With the car disabled, the suspect fled on foot. A K-9 unit assisted in the pursuit, and the suspect was apprehended.
A gun and methamphetamine were recovered from the stolen vehicle. The suspect, who was wanted on multiple warrants, faces charges of attempting to elude, possession of a stolen car, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, driving on a suspended license and resisting arrest.
"Great work by our deputies to get a dangerous driver and another gun off of our streets," the agency stated.
