A black-and-white Jeep tied to a felony in Pompano Beach refused to pull over for a Fort Lauderdale police officer around 11:30 a.m. yesterday, touching off a chase that ended near Northwest 16th Avenue and West Sunrise Boulevard, just east of Interstate 95, when officers deployed a Grappler device to disable the vehicle. All three occupants bailed out and tried to run before being caught.
According to WSVN, Broward Sheriff's Office aviation and ground units joined Fort Lauderdale officers in the pursuit after the Jeep had already fled BSO deputies in Pompano Beach. As reported by NBC 6 South Florida, the vehicle did not stop when a Fort Lauderdale officer attempted a traffic stop, prompting the Grappler deployment in the 1600 block of West Sunrise Boulevard that finally brought the chase to a halt.
Driver Identified, Two Others Still Unnamed
Police identified the driver as 42-year-old Dewontres McCray, who now faces charges of burglary of an occupied dwelling, grand theft, and fleeing and eluding law enforcement, per NBC 6. The other two suspects who exited the stopped vehicle were also arrested, though their identities and charges had not been released as of the report.
The Broward Sheriff's Office is leading the primary felony investigation, according to WPLG Local 10, since the underlying case originated in BSO's Pompano Beach jurisdiction even though Fort Lauderdale officers carried out the physical stop on West Sunrise Boulevard. NBC 6 said it had reached out to the Broward Sheriff's Office for additional information on the case.
How the Grappler Works
The Grappler Police Bumper releases a net from the front of a police cruiser that wraps around the back tire of a fleeing car, locking it in place, per NBC 6's report. Fort Lauderdale police began using the device last year, and it is designed to stop a fleeing suspect without endangering the public.
The technology has a wider track record beyond this single stop. Invented by Arizona resident Leonard Stock, the Grappler is now deployed by law enforcement agencies across 35 states and has logged over 1,500 successful pursuit interventions nationwide, according to CBS News. Agencies adopting net-based intervention devices have reported roughly an 80% surge in fleeing and eluding cases in recent years, which CBS News says is driving demand for alternatives to traditional high-speed chases.
Fort Lauderdale's Growing Reliance on the Device
Fort Lauderdale police reported in April 2025 that officers had used the Grappler to stop 20 fleeing vehicles in just four months, a track record that led the department to begin hosting training programs for other agencies, WSVN previously reported. Tuesday's stop follows a Blue Martini stabbing chase weeks earlier along the same East Sunrise Boulevard corridor, when the device stopped a 52-year-old suspect fleeing after an alleged stabbing.
The device has also seen use in coordinated regional operations, including a March 2025 joint task force in North Lauderdale where FLPD, Coral Springs Police, and BSO's Burglary Apprehension Team used a Grappler to disable a getaway car and arrest four suspects tied to 29 vehicle burglaries. Neighboring Hollywood Police Department has operated Grappler-equipped cruisers since at least 2024, deploying the device in stops such as a stolen vehicle pursuit on State Road 7 in June, per WSVN.
Risks Remain Despite the Track Record
Not every deployment has gone smoothly. In May 2025, a Fort Lauderdale attempt to deploy a Grappler during a felony investigation triggered an erratic maneuver from the fleeing suspect that caused a severe collision, leaving two officers trapped inside an overturned cruiser before both were rescued.
Under Florida Statute § 316.1935, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer is a felony carrying a minimum third-degree penalty of up to five years in prison, $5,000 in fines, and mandatory driver's license revocation, with penalties escalating to second- or first-degree felonies if the fleeing involves reckless high speeds or causes bodily injury. McCray's case now moves forward under that statute as the Broward Sheriff's Office continues its investigation into the original Pompano Beach felony that started the chase.
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