A black-and-white Jeep tied to a felony in Pompano Beach refused to pull over for a Fort Lauderdale police officer around 11:30 a.m. yesterday, touching off a chase that ended near Northwest 16th Avenue and West Sunrise Boulevard, just east of Interstate 95, when officers deployed a Grappler device to disable the vehicle. All three occupants bailed out and tried to run before being caught.
According to WSVN, Broward Sheriff’s Office aviation and ground units joined Fort Lauderdale officers in the pursuit after the Jeep had already fled BSO deputies in Pompano Beach. As reported by NBC 6 South Florida, the vehicle did not stop when a Fort Lauderdale officer attempted a traffic stop, prompting the Grappler deployment in the 1600 block of West Sunrise Boulevard that finally brought the chase to a halt.
Driver Identified, Two Others Still Unnamed
Police identified the driver as 42-year-old Dewontres McCray, who now faces charges of burglary of an occupied dwelling, grand theft, and fleeing and eluding law enforcement, per NBC 6. The other two suspects who exited the stopped vehicle were also arrested, though their identities and charges had not been released as of the report.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office is leading the primary felony investigation, according to WPLG Local 10, since the underlying case originated in BSO’s Pompano Beach jurisdiction even though Fort Lauderdale officers carried out the physical stop on West Sunrise Boulevard. NBC 6 said it had reached out to the Broward Sheriff’s Office for additional information on the case.
How the Grappler Works
The Grappler Police Bumper releases a net from the front of a police cruiser that wraps around the back tire of a fleeing car, locking it in place, per NBC 6’s report. Fort Lauderdale police began using the device last year, and it is designed to stop a fleeing suspect without endangering the public…