Grappler: What you need to know about a technology being used to end police pursuits

PHOENIX - On July 20, police in Mesa, Arizona stopped an incident involving a stolen car by deploying a device known as the Grappler Police Bumper.The incident began when police were alerted to a stolen car near Country Club Drive and Hampton Avenue in Mesa, police said.

Patrol officers and officers in unmarked vehicles responded and spotted the stolen vehicle in the parking lot of a Home Depot.The SUV, according to Mesa Police Det.

Richard Encinas, got out of the parking lot and onto Country Club Drive, where an unmarked unit "was able to deploy his Grappler and bring the vehicle to a safe stop."Read More: Police use grappler to stop stolen vehicle in Mesa; 4 detained, 1 hospitalized"Big old thing that came out from underneath the police car and grabbed this car, tied a little rope on the car, and stopped it," said Ginnie Grant, who watched the incident unfold.Here's what you should know about the device that stopped not only the stolen car mentioned above, but other cars involved in police situations across the Phoenix area in recent years.We first profiled the Grappler Police Bumper in 2016.

In that report, the Grappler was described as a device that works by using a heavy-duty nylon net that can be lowered from the front of the pursuing police vehicle with the touch of a button to snag the rear tire of the suspect vehicle, wrapping around the axle.Once the Grappler has a hold of the suspect vehicle, the officer can then release a tether from the police car and back away to a safe distance.