SPLENDORA, Texas – A small police department northeast of Houston is pioneering technology that could revolutionize how law enforcement ends dangerous high-speed pursuits, potentially saving lives across the region.
The Splendora Police Department recently became one of the first agencies in the Houston area to deploy the “Grappler,” a $10,000 device that allows police cruisers to safely stop fleeing vehicles by entangling their rear wheels in a heavy-duty net.
“We get quite a few pursuits originated by our own agency and a lot of pursuits from other agencies that come through our city,” said Splendora Police Chief Wally Wieghat, who has led the department for 10 years. “With cars now capable of reaching speeds up to 130 miles per hour, these situations have become increasingly dangerous.”
The department’s first successful deployment of the Grappler system came earlier this month when Officer Michael Maynard used it to end a pursuit of a vehicle traveling 90 mph in a 65-mph zone on Highway 59.
“Get behind him, put the lights on, no reaction, no brakes, no nothing, turn the sirens on, the driver starts accelerating, getting about 110, 111 miles an hour,” Maynard said.
What officers didn’t know at the time: the fleeing vehicle contained four unrestrained children, including a one-year-old infant.
“The one-year-old would have been probably seriously injured for sure, at a minimum,” Maynard said, describing what could have happened with traditional pursuit-ending techniques. “If not everybody in the car with possible ejections.”
How It Works
The Grappler system mounts to the front of police vehicles and deploys a strong net that wraps around a fleeing vehicle’s rear tire. A 20,000-pound tether connects the vehicles, allowing officers to safely bring the pursuit to an end.
“It’s way safer, way more convenient than pitting especially,” Maynard said, referring to the Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver that can cause vehicles to spin out of control.
Growing Regional Interest
The technology is gaining traction across the Greater Houston area. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office already has five Grappler units and is seeking an additional $150,000 in funding from Governor Greg Abbott to acquire more.
Meanwhile, U.S. Representative Wesley Hunt has requested $3.1 million in federal funding for the Houston Police Department, with part of that money earmarked for 25 new SUVs equipped with Grappler systems.
The Human Cost
Federal crash data shows 64 fatal police pursuit crashes occurred in Harris County between 2019 and 2023. Recent incidents highlight the dangers: just last week, a pursuit in Houston’s Midtown ended with a crashed vehicle in flames and an injured police detective.
“I could have been walking down that street that day and potentially getting hit by a car,” said Ava Dempster, who witnessed the aftermath of the Midtown crash. “It’s something that you see on TV, not something that you get to witness in person.”
While the Grappler system is still too new for comprehensive safety data, early adopters like the Colorado State Patrol report positive results in shortening pursuit durations.
“We are still early on in our use of the Grappler across the Patrol for pursuit situations,” wrote a Colorado State Patrol spokesperson. “We don’t have reliable numbers to share at this point, but we are continuing to use the Grappler and feel it has been a good tool so far. We believe it has reduced the length of pursuits.”
For Chief Wieghat, whose department is already planning to add two more units, the decision to adopt the technology was simple: “The safety factor — you just can’t put a price on that.”
KPRC 2 has submitted a records request with the Houston Police Department to obtain the number of pursuits and those that involve injury or death.