Watch Wash. Deputy Use Grappler to Stop Fleeing Theft Suspect
What to know
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Thurston County sheriff's deputies ended two separate high-speed pursuits on Interstate 5 late Feb. 2, according to Sheriff Derek Sanders.
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In the first incident, deputies used a grappler device to stop a vehicle fleeing an attempted traffic stop by Olympia police, and two occupants with active warrants were detained.
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In the second chase, a deputy used spike strips to stop a BMW allegedly traveling more than 150 mph after fleeing recklessly.
Thurston County deputies ended two separate high-speed chases on Interstate 5 Monday night, Sheriff Derek Sanders said.
The first chase started when Olympia police officers attempted to stop a driver suspected of theft, Sanders shared on his Facebook page. The driver allegedly fled northbound on Interstate 5 at a “high rate of speed.”
Dash camera footage shows a sheriff’s deputy catching up with the driver at about 10:17 p.m. and then deploying a grappler near milepost 119, which is past the Thurston and Pierce County border.
The grappler is pursuit alternative technology attached to the front bumper of patrol vehicles. When deployed, the grappler ensnares the rear tire of a suspect vehicle in a net that remains tethered to the patrol vehicle.
In this instance, the grappler managed to slow down the vehicle, bringing it to stop.
Deputies detained two occupants and turned them over to Olympia police. Sanders said both had active warrants for crimes ranging from theft to assault.
The jail log shows Olympia police booked the driver, a 29-year-old woman, on suspicion of eluding a police vehicle, third-degree theft and obstructing a law enforcement officer.
Deputies responded to the second chase about 30 minutes after the first one, Sanders said in a separate Facebook post.
This time a deputy with a K9 dog spotted a “recklessly driven BMW” with no plates, he said. Sanders alleged the driver did donuts with his car and drifted out of a parking lot before fleeing. Dash camera footage shows the deputy start pursuing the driver onto southbound I-5.
The driver allegedly fled at speeds over 150 miles per hour, Sanders said. The deputy who deployed the grappler in the previous chase set up a spike strip ahead of the driver and successfully spiked the vehicle.
The driver stopped his vehicle and surrendered near exit 108 which leads to Sleater Kinney Road, according to the video.
Sanders said the driver admitted to removing their plates after seeing a patrol vehicle parked across the street.
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