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Grappler Used in Riverside County Chase as Suspect Dies After Standoff

Deputies say this was their first California use of the pursuit tool.

Overview

  • The pursuit across Riverside and San Bernardino counties on Wednesday led to a brief lockdown at Jurupa Valley High School after the driver stopped at Bellegrave and Etiwanda.
  • Deputies deployed spike strips and then a Grappler from a K-9 SUV, and after the device made contact just before 3:30 p.m., the Cadillac swerved and hit a wall on Antigua Drive.
  • Following the crash, the driver refused to exit as crisis negotiators worked for hours, then deputies found him with injuries consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot and paramedics pronounced him dead, and the Force Investigations Detail is now investigating.
  • The Sheriff’s Office says this was California’s first field use of the Grappler, a net that snags a car’s rear wheels to halt it.
  • The agency opened an internal review after video showed a SWAT deputy scrolling on what looked like a dating app during the standoff.