Aurora police say a stolen-car chase Wednesday night ended with a new bit of hardware doing exactly what it was bought to do. Officers used a bumper-mounted device called the Grappler to disable the vehicle and arrest a suspect on East Iliff Avenue, marking what the department is calling its first successful use of the tool. The chase began after Aurora’s Real Time Information Center spotted the stolen car in a McDonald’s drive-thru, and officers later took 44-year-old Denver resident Roberto Vicente Segura into custody without incident, according to police.
In a post on X, the Aurora Police Department shared video of both officer training and the first real-world Grappler stop. The post explains that some patrol vehicles now carry the unit on their front bumpers and that it deploys a high-strength nylon tether designed to wrap around a fleeing car’s rear tire and help haul it to a halt. The department said officers spent several weeks training with the system before it ever hit the street.
How the Grappler works
The Grappler Police Bumper is a front-mounted interception system that fires a heavy-duty net and tether toward a suspect vehicle’s rear wheel. Once it catches, the net wraps around the axle so the pursuing police vehicle can slow the suspect car and bring it under control instead of trying a ramming move. Reporting and video reviewed by Police1 and other outlets show the net quickly locking down vehicles without a PIT maneuver, which can carry a higher risk of broadside crashes.
Colorado agencies already using the tool
Aurora is not the first Colorado agency to bring Grapplers into the fleet. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office bought five units last year and the Colorado State Patrol has been using them since 2021, according to The Denver Gazette. Mountain jurisdictions such as Clear Creek County have been training up officers and certifying trainers on the device, CBS Colorado has reported, and Hoodline has previously highlighted a Douglas County deployment that showed the bumper system in action alongside Aurora units.
Wednesday’s pursuit and arrest
According to the department’s social media post and the embedded video, Aurora’s Real Time Information Center first located the stolen vehicle in the McDonald’s drive-thru at East Iliff Avenue and South Blackhawk Street shortly before 11 p.m. Officers converged on the area, and the pursuit briefly crossed into Denver before circling back. Police then used the Grappler to stop the car near East Iliff Avenue and East Cherry Creek Drive.
Aurora identified the driver as 44-year-old Roberto Vicente Segura of Denver and said records show four previous arrests related to motor-vehicle theft. Segura was arrested at the scene and, as police emphasized, was taken into custody without any additional drama.
Training and safety questions
Department officials say the weeks of training that preceded the Grappler’s rollout were a key part of bringing the tool online. Supporters contend that the net-and-tether setup can cut down on the need for risky PIT maneuvers and spike strips, which can go wrong in a hurry on busy roads. At the same time, reporters and oversight groups have pressed agencies to pair any new pursuit-ending technology with clear policy rules and thorough after-action reviews; FOX 5 DC has tracked both success stories and concerns as the system spreads…