LIVONIA, Mich. (WXYZ) — Three people were arrested after a police chase along I-96 in Livonia on Thursday morning, Michigan State Police said.
According to Livonia police, a vehicle was stolen out of Dearborn on Wednesday, and Michigan State Police notified Livonia that the vehicle was spotted.
See video of police using the Grappler below
That's when the vehicle began running, and Livonia police used the grappler to stop the suspect's vehicle.
Police say the driver tried to escape from the grappler, which led to a small car fire. Crews had to come and put out the fire.
Hear from the Grappler inventor about the incident in the video below
"The Grappler is an innovative safety tool that deploys a high-strength net around a vehicle’s rear tire and axle, stopping it within seconds. In this case, after being stopped, the driver repeatedly attempted to break free by reversing and then accelerating forward. However, the Grappler held firm and because of the driver’s own actions, the vehicle’s rear axle was ripped off, permanently disabling the car. This is not typical with Grappler deployments and was solely the result of the driver’s reckless attempts to escape," police said.
According to Michigan State Police, the 27-year-old male driver from Brighton was taken into custody, and two female passengers were arrested after police found they have several warrants.
Leonard Stock, the Grappler inventor and founder of the company, said his goal with the device was to provide a tool for law enforcement that protects innocent lives.
"I was getting inundated with text messages of the photo of the car," he told 7 News Detroit on Friday, a day after the chase.
He said he's never seen anything like that, but in the past, there have been two other cases where people have reversed and tried to get out of the Grappler, but it tore a wheel off.
