Las Vegas Metropolitan Police have once again effectively utilized their new device, the Grappler, to apprehend a suspect involved in a carjacking and wanted for attempted murder. According to News 3 Las Vegas, footage from last month shows the police deploying the grappler to stop a vehicle driven by Vincent Farmer, 41, who had allegedly forced his ex-girlfriend out of her car and took off in the stolen vehicle.
On August 18, during the operation to safely bring Farmer into custody, the police learned that he also had an outstanding warrant for attempted murder out of Nye County. The fugitive was found and pursued on U.S. 95 north of Kyle Canyon Road, where officers managed the situation through the strategic use of the grappler – a device that shoots out and ensnares a vehicle's rear wheel, effectively anchoring the suspect's car to the police vehicle. "As you'll see in the video, the tool allowed our officers to bring this dangerous situation to a successful and peaceful resolution," cited the police department in a social media post obtained by 8 News Now.
The Grappler tool, which the department began using earlier this year, is designed to be a safer alternative to traditional methods such as spike strips or PIT maneuvers. Notably, Nevada State Police Trooper Micah May tragically died in 2021 after being run over by a suspect's vehicle while he was deploying spike strips. In the view of the department, the grappler offers a less risky method to neutralize vehicle-based threats and safeguard the lives of officers and the public.
Farmer currently remains in custody at the Clark County Detention Center. He faces multiple charges, including robbery, grand larceny of a motor vehicle, domestic battery, and battery on a protected person, in addition to existing drug possession charges and the warrant from Nye County. The recent incident of apprehending Farmer with the grappler has highlighted the device's efficacy, drawing further attention after a similar usage in Michigan managed the feat of entirely removing the rear axle of a stolen vehicle.
