By Hannah Edelman
The Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Wash.)
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The Bellingham Police Department has deployed its “grappler” police bumper for the first time after purchasing the devices using a public safety grant.
Bellingham City Council accepted a $3.7 million grant in May from the state Criminal Justice Training Commission. The funding allowed the city to unfreeze three police officer positions and buy advanced equipment such as drones, dashboard-mounted cameras and grappler devices that snare the wheel of a fleeing car, forcing it to stop.
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Several patrol vehicles have been outfitted with the grapplers, according to BPD, and officers completed certification training in their use.
The department said in a social media post Wednesday that an officer used a grappler for the first time on Monday night following a police chase. Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputies attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle, but the driver failed to yield and fled.
The pursuit was momentarily stopped before Washington State Patrol relocated the car and requested help from BPD. The driver was heading into oncoming traffic, swerving and running red lights, BPD said, and was about to enter Interstate 5 at Sunset Drive . A grappler-trained BPD officer was able to get to the scene behind the car and deploy the device, stopping the car.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of eluding police, felony DUI, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a stolen vehicle and driving with a suspended license. He also had active warrants out of Skagit County .
As of Wednesday afternoon, the man remains in custody in lieu of $100,000 bond.
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