A California suspect who tried to escape into a storm drain after police stopped his car with a Grappler device was taken into custody without further incident.
The chase, which involved the Riverside Police Department and the Corona Police Department, began on the westbound 91 Freeway near the Green River Road exit in early October. Officers called in the Riverside PD FLEX Team for backup once the pursuit entered Corona city limits, according to the incident summary.
The department deployed its Grappler, a pursuit-ending technology that wraps a suspect’s rear wheel to stop the vehicle. The device brought the fleeing car to a halt, but the driver immediately bolted on foot. He headed for a storm drain and crawled inside, apparently hoping to slip away from pursuing officers.
Authorities tracked him down in the drain and arrested him. The man was wanted on an active felony warrant and for reckless evading, the incident summary stated.
The Riverside Police Department introduced the Grappler in September, following a successful deployment to stop a chase in late August. The device is designed to end high-speed pursuits by wrapping a net around a suspect’s rear wheel, allowing officers to control the vehicle’s speed and direction.
The early October incident marked another deployment of the technology, though the suspect’s foot chase added an unexpected final phase to the arrest. The storm drain attempt came after officers had already ended the vehicle portion of the pursuit.
The Corona freeway chase and storm drain escape unfolded in broad daylight, with police dashcam footage capturing the arrest. The suspect’s attempt to hide underground failed when officers located him in the drainage system.
The Riverside PD FLEX Team, which assisted in the operation, is a specialized unit called in for tactical situations and high-risk arrests. The collaboration between Riverside and Corona police departments spanned both the freeway pursuit and the subsequent foot chase.
The suspect’s arrest wrapped up a pursuit that moved from the freeway into a drainage system before ending in custody. Authorities noted no injuries or additional incidents occurred during the apprehension.
The Grappler deployment in late August that preceded the September introduction had demonstrated the device’s effectiveness in stopping a fleeing vehicle. The early October chase represented the technology’s continued use in Riverside Police Department operations.