Lee County Sheriff's Office rolls out grappler devices to end dangerous pursuits

LEE COUNTY, Fla. (WINK)—The Lee County Sheriff's Office is rolling out new Grappler devices and adding Chevy Tahoes to its fleet in an effort to stop suspects faster and make high-speed chases safer.

Deputies say pursuits can turn dangerous in seconds, but this new equipment is designed to bring them to a safe end before things get out of control.

"Some of the most dangerous things you can do is pursue someone in a vehicle," Sheriff Carmine Marceno of the Lee County Sheriff's Office said. "Not only does it endanger your life as an officer, but also everyone else who's not involved."

The new Grapplers are designed to latch onto rear tires. Once the Grappler deploys, it uses a net attached to the patrol car to snare and lock the suspect's tire, bringing a high-speed chase to a halt.

"There's a lot of unknown in pursuits, and that's why it's such a high liability," Marceno said. "This is a game-changer. This is going to be so much safer. It's going to save lives."

Jackson, a Lee County resident, supports the new technology.

"I think it's something good," Jackson said. "If it slows them down and it works. New technology, I'm all for it."

Marceno says the Grappler would have helped on Sunday. Deputies instead used a PIT maneuver to stop 18-year-old Jean Zamora, who they say was speeding away from a traffic stop.

"We're pushing it to the limits, risking other people's lives on the roadway where the grappler ends the pursuit in seconds, and it's safe," Marceno said.

The fully equipped Tahoe with a Grappler costs $91,000. Marceno says the process to phase in all Chevy Tahoes with Grapplers for patrol purposes will take several years.