I-70 Pursuit Ends with Grappler Takedown

MESA COUNTY, CO — A 25-year-old Utah man was arrested Wednesday night after fleeing from law enforcement along Interstate 70 in a vehicle stolen out of Wyoming, a pursuit that ended when deputies deployed a Grappler device to force the car to a stop.

Just before 7:00 p.m. on April 22, 2026, a De Beque Marshal working with the BATTLE (Beat Auto Theft Through Law Enforcement) West Task Force identified the stolen vehicle in the area of Horizon Drive and I-70. When the Marshal attempted to conduct a traffic stop, the driver fled eastbound onto I-70 at a high rate of speed. The Marshal chose not to pursue the vehicle.

A short time later, other law enforcement personnel participating in the task force located the stolen vehicle traveling between Palisade and Cameo. The driver exited I-70 at Cameo, where authorities successfully deployed a tire deflation device.

Despite the flattened tires, the driver attempted to re-enter I-70 eastbound. At approximately 8:00 p.m. near Exit 45, deputies with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office successfully deployed a Grappler device, permanently disabling the vehicle and bringing it to a halt.

Two adults were removed from the car. The driver, identified as Truman Bryant, 25, of Utah, was taken into custody. A female passenger in the vehicle was not charged and was provided a courtesy ride to Clifton.

Bryant was booked into the Mesa County Detention Facility on the following charges:

Second Degree Motor Vehicle Theft (Felony 4)

Vehicular Eluding (Felony 5)

Reckless Driving (Misdemeanor)

Speeding 10-19 MPH Over (Traffic Infraction)

Drove Vehicle Without A Valid Driver’s License (Traffic Infraction)

Failed To Stop For Traffic Control Signal At Place Required (Traffic Infraction)

The BATTLE West Task Force is a partnership managed by the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado State Patrol, utilizing state grant funding to investigate complex vehicle crimes and proactively prevent auto theft. The task force was assisted in this incident by the De Beque Marshal’s Office, the Colorado Department of Parole, Grand County (Utah) law enforcement, and the Uinta County Sheriff’s Office in Evanston, Wyoming.