Dashcam video shows Michigan police using grappler device to almost immediately end chase and retrieve stolen car
Published on Sep 01, 2025 at 3:04 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Sep 01, 2025 at 9:08 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Dashcam video has shown Michigan police using a grappler to almost instantly end a car chase and retrieve what was a stolen car.
Michigan State Police released the footage and it’s since gone viral.
Photos of the aftermath show how wild the moment was, with the rear axle of the stolen car being pulled off in order to bring it to a stop.
The driver of the stolen car was unable to make their escape after the grappler caught them, despite them trying several times to get away from it.
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What the footage of the police chase showed
The footage shows the Michigan police vehicle getting very close to the rear of the stolen car prior to the grappler being launched.
Contact between the two is made, and the grappler latches onto the stolen car, causing it to slow to a stop.
Despite clearly being firmly attached, the driver of the car insised on trying to break free.
The video showed them trying multiple times to accelerate forward and break free from the grappler.
We can see the car lurch forward time after time, before it looks like the driver finally gives up.
There is then one last attempt, which rips off the car’s rear axle, and that ends the police chase.
The grappler gave the stolen car no chance to escape
The incident took place on I-96 in Livonia, Michigan, with the grappler giving the stolen car’s driver no chance to escape.
Michigan police worked quickly to try to stop the stolen car, and the rear axle being ripped off was very dramatic.
The device wraps itself around the rear tires of the cars being chased.
Full video of the grappler device being used to stop a stolen car in Michigan. Device held up to repeated attempts to flee, resulting in the rear axle being ripped off the vehicle
byu/SageAgainstDaMachine inDamnthatsinteresting
It does so tightly, and it slows whichever vehicle it is attached to right down to a stop.
Inventor of the grappler, Leonard Stock, created the grappler to bring police chases to a safe conclusion.
Hooking up a car in the manner we saw in the video minimizes the potential risks to everyone involved.
What the video also showed is that if you try to drive away, you are likely to do some serious damage to the car.
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Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
