Missoula Police Use New Tech to Stop Suspect Safely

If you’ve ever turned on the TV, seen a police chase, and wondered what happened next, you know how they all go. Speeds increase, things become dicey rapidly, and everyone sort of prays it all ends without someone getting injured.

Missoula PD just proved there could be a better way.

The Missoula Police Department recently deployed a bit of high-tech in the form of a vehicle grappler to disable a high-risk suspect before things could get out of hand. This was no low-level stop either. The suspect was wanted out of Ravalli County on a $250,000 warrant, believed to be armed, and was heading directly into downtown during high traffic hours.

Rather than allow that to develop into a fully fledged pursuit, officers arrested the man as he sped across Beartracks Bridge.

And they did it without a crash, injuries or transforming downtown Missoula into a scene from a movie.

This Is One of Those Things That You Typically See Online

Here’s the part that jumps out to me.

This type of technology isn’t entirely new. They have been around in other parts of the world for some time now. You’ve probably seen clips of them online, from some police department or another, showing how it works. But to actually see it used in real life, in our small town by the river? That’s different.

Watching a demo is one thing. It’s one thing to watch it stop a dangerous situation in theory, as it happens well before reaching a crowded downtown.

So What Does This Thing Actually Do?

The idea is relatively straightforward. The grappler is attached to the bumper of a police car. When it’s deployed, the tether unfurls and wraps around the suspect’s rear tire or axle. When it does lock in, the vehicle is pretty much dealt with and brought to a stop.

No high-speed chase. No PIT maneuver. No danger to pedestrians. Just a quick, controlled stop. Which, in a town like Missoula, with people walking and driving and narrow streets downtown, is a big deal.

This Was at One of Those Places Where You Don’t Want a Chase

Which is even more impressive, where it happened. The suspect was moving toward downtown at one of the busiest times of day. People strolling, cars everywhere, businesses open, normal life taking place. That’s precisely the scenario in which a chase can go sideways in no time flat. Instead, it concluded on the bridge. Clean. Controlled. No injuries reported. And that’s a pretty significant step forward, especially for Missoula.