Grappling device used to end car chase in southern Utah

HURRICANE, Washington County — A chase in southern Utah involving a 32-year-old California man believed to be in a stolen vehicle ended when police stopped the fleeing car using a Grappler Police Bumper.

The incident began Wednesday around 2:30 p.m., when a license plate reader detected a vehicle reported stolen out of California traveling north on I-15. Law enforcement in Washington County was alerted that the vehicle may be entering Utah from Arizona, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies spotted the 2013 Ford Escape and attempted to pull it over, but the driver "attempted to evade them" and started heading east toward Hurricane, a police booking affidavit states. The driver continued to flee on state Route 9.

"Shortly thereafter, a Division of Natural Resources law enforcement ranger spotted the suspect vehicle near 4400 W. State Street and attempted a vehicle stop. The suspect again refused to stop, prompting the ranger to initiate a pursuit," the sheriff's office said in a prepared statement.

A deputy whose vehicle was equipped "with a specialized Grappler Police Bumper" joined the chase, the sheriff's office stated.

A Grappler Police Bumper is a heavy-duty nylon net attached to the front of a patrol car that an officer can use to "tether" a fleeing car by attaching the net to a rear tire and locking the axle. After tethering the fleeing vehicle to the officer's vehicle, the officer can bring it to a stop.

Police say the fleeing vehicle "was observed maneuvering through traffic and was traveling at excessive speeds."

"The deputy caught up (to the fleeing car) near 3820 W. State Street. Recognizing the immediate advantage of the Grappler System, the Division of Natural Resources ranger relinquished primary pursuit position to the deputy. The suspect vehicle continued to evade officers, turning south onto Sand Hollow Road," the sheriff's office stated. "As the pursuit continued toward Sand Hollow Resort Parkway, an officer with the Hurricane Police Department positioned ahead attempted to deploy spike strips. The suspect slowed and swerved to avoid the spikes. The reduction in speed created an optimal and safe opportunity for the pursuing deputy to apply the Grappler Police Bumper onto the vehicle's driver-side rear tire, bringing the pursuit to a rapid and controlled stop."

After being stopped, the driver refused to get out of the vehicle and tried backing up to gain momentum before going forward.

"The Grappler system worked as designed, holding the vehicle firmly in place and preventing further flight," according to the sheriff's office.

Police eventually got David W. Drury out of the vehicle at gunpoint and arrested him. He was charged Thursday in 5th District Court with having a stolen vehicle, a second-degree felony; failing to stop for police, a third-degree felony; and having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle and driving on a suspended or revoked license, class C misdemeanors. He was charged in a second case with a second count of fleeing from police, a third-degree felony, for initially fleeing from a Washington city officer, according to jail records.

After being taken into custody, Drury told police that the vehicle belonged to his girlfriend and that they had gotten into an argument, and she told him multiple times to return the vehicle, the affidavit states.

Earlier this year, the Washington County Sheriff's Office became the first police agency in Utah to equip patrol cars with the Grappler Police Bumper. The sheriff's office has the device on about a dozen vehicles. According to the sheriff's office, "This latest deployment is the second successful deployment we have had on stolen vehicles and marks two out of two successful deployments."

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