Eagan Police Adopt New Technology To Reduce High-Speed Pursuits, Enhance Safety

Eagan Police Adopt New Technology To Reduce High-Speed Pursuits, Enhance Safety

By MinneapoliMedia Staff | June 20, 2025

EAGAN, MN — The Eagan Police Department is rolling out a new tool aimed at significantly reducing the need for dangerous high-speed police pursuits, thereby enhancing safety for officers and the public. The department recently acquired and is now deploying the "Grappler," a vehicle-mounted device designed to safely stop fleeing vehicles without the risks associated with traditional chase tactics.

Eagan is the first law enforcement agency in Minnesota to utilize the Grappler system, and one of only a handful across the Midwest. The technology, which costs approximately $5,000 per install with each replacement net costing $400, offers a safer alternative to methods like PIT maneuvers or spike strips.

Administrative Sgt. Rich Evans, who spearheaded the funding for the Grappler in Eagan, explained how the system works. "It drops a net in front of the car, and that wraps around the tire of the suspect vehicle, immobilizing that tire and bringing the car to a stop," Evans said. The device is mounted on the front of a police squad car and can be deployed from behind a fleeing vehicle.

Officer Chris Roche, one of the Eagan officers trained on the new tool, described it as a "relatively simple system." When activated, the officer deploys the net, which snags the suspect vehicle's tire, bringing it to a controlled stop. "Initially, you hear a lot of noise with the zip ties, like braking, and the tether stretching so the vehicle stops or begins to stop," Roche explained.

The Eagan Police Department reported nine pursuits so far in 2025, compared to 23 in all of last year. Leaders hope the Grappler will further reduce these numbers by providing an option to end a chase early, or even prevent it from escalating.

"The stop stick theory is good because it can deflate tires in a controlled manner, but to do that, you have to put your officers in harm’s way," Evans noted. "Now we can preemptively work and plan. It's an effective tool to be able to get in a position behind a vehicle and limit the risk to the officers and the public."

The Grappler can be used at low speeds before a full-blown chase begins, or to stop individuals in stolen cars or those actively trying to evade police. It also has potential applications in medical emergencies where an immediate vehicle stop is necessary for public safety.

"It's been kind of a known fact for several years that people think it's a free-for-all, and we want to stop that," Evans emphasized, referring to the growing trend of individuals fleeing from police. "We want to actually put people behind bars, hold people accountable, catch violators, and enhance public safety at the same time."

Officer Roche added that the Grappler provides a crucial advantage in high-pressure situations. "The advantage to this is, before we get into a lot of the unpredictability of a pursuit, or potentially before we get into that, we have the opportunity to use this tool to stop it very early on, or before it even starts," he said.

The Eagan Police Department's adoption of the Grappler underscores a broader trend in law enforcement towards utilizing technology to mitigate the dangers of vehicle pursuits, which can pose significant risks to officers, suspects, and innocent bystanders. Other departments in Minnesota, such as Maplewood, Roseville, and Brooklyn Center, and the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, have explored or implemented GPS tracking systems like StarChase for similar objectives in recent years.

MinneapoliMedia