A fleeing SUV involved in an alleged hit-and-run met its match on I-275 in Livonia just before 6 p.m. on November 2, when officers fired a net-launching device from a patrol car’s front bumper and reeled the vehicle to a stop. No one was hurt, and police say no additional property was damaged in the process.
The chase started with Hazel Park police, who were pursuing the vehicle westbound on I-96 and through I-275 in Livonia after it was involved in an accident and fled, according to WXYZ. Livonia police responded to assist and used a patrol vehicle equipped with the Grappler Police Bumper to stop the SUV involved, the station reports. The driver was taken into custody by Livonia police and then arrested by Hazel Park police.
Dash-cam footage released by Livonia police shows an officer tailing the SUV closely before deploying the device on the highway, bringing the chase to a halt. The Grappler works by shooting netting from the patrol car’s front bumper toward the rear tires of the fleeing vehicle, according to Fox 2 Detroit, entangling them and forcing the car to stop without the need for a traditional PIT maneuver or extended pursuit.
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This isn’t the first time the device has shown up on Livonia roads. In a separate incident, the department used a Grappler to stop a vehicle stolen out of Dearborn, and the same WXYZ report notes that three people were arrested after that chase along I-96 in September 2025. That stop didn’t go quite as cleanly — officers said the driver’s attempts to break free after being grappled tore off the rear axle and sparked a small car fire, something police described as not typical with Grappler deployments…