Hollywood police released dashcam footage of the high-speed pursuit that ended with the capture of two suspected juvenile carjackers. The video, obtained by WSVN, shows a yellow Chevrolet Camaro with a hanging rear bumper being chased by police along Washington Street, before being cornered and stopped with the aid of cutting-edge technology.
The chase unfolded on a busy street between 52nd and 56th streets on a tense Tuesday afternoon. As per the released video, an officer is seen bumping the Camaro, and in a stroke of high-tech policing, deploying a new device called the Grappler. The Grappler, a net that entangles a vehicle's rear tires, was used to halt the sports car’s escape. After the vehicle was halted, one officer, gun drawn, is seen moving towards the crashed car, in a video recorded by a local witness and shared by WSVN.
This incident, which sounded like a Hollywood script, began when the Camaro's owner was confronted while loading groceries. According to a report by Bollyinside, the assailants threatened the victim with a gun and commandeered the car, expressing the violence and fear that marked the genesis of the chase. Hollywood Police say the suspects, both 17 years old, discarded a firearm during the pursuit, which was later recovered.
In the aftermath, both subjects were apprehended and received medical treatment at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital before being taken into juvenile detention. Facing a slew of charges, including robbery, carjacking with a firearm or weapon, fleeing and eluding police, the two teenagers are now entangled in the justice system. In showcasing the effectiveness of their new device, Hollywood PD highlighted the Grappler in a demo video earlier this year, confirming they received six units, as reported by Bollyinside.
