Mesa Officers Deploy the "Grappler” to Stop Suspect Vehicle

On January 18, 2022, around 8:43 a.m., Mesa Police Officers responded to a shots fired call in the 100 block of S. Lazona Mesa, AZ. When officers arrived, they spoke to a witness who said that a black Dodge Charger with a temporary registration tag was speeding up and down the street. This witness yelled at the driver, later identified as 21-year-old Tre-Shawn Dorsett, to slow down. Dorsett continued to speed up and down the street and stopped in front of the witness’ house. He honked the car horn, opened the car door, and began yelling and mocking the witness. The witness responded by taking a photograph of Dorsett before going inside their house. When the vehicle left, this witness heard four gunshots.

A second witness was located, who told officers the same story about the black Dodge Charger speeding up and down the street. This witness was outside of their house at the time and said that the driver held a handgun outside of the window, firing four rounds towards a residence on Lazona. The vehicle sped off while firing an additional two rounds from the vehicle.  

Within two minutes, officers arrived on scene and located the Dodge Charger in the area. Officers observed a male subject getting into the vehicle, who also matched the photograph of the male subject taken by the first witness.

Officers followed the vehicle in conjunction with the Mesa Police Air Unit into Phoenix, where they utilized the Grappler to stop Dorsett’s vehicle. Dorsett was taken into custody without further incident. 

Actual Scene Photographs of the Grappler (from police vehicle to suspect vehicle)

*To see video of the Grappler in action click here: https://policebumper.com/video/ 

Dorsett admitted to officers that he was speeding and that someone yelled at him, but denied having a confrontation with anyone, even when he was shown the photo of himself antagonizing the first witness.

Dorsett was booked into jail for the following charges and held on a $50,000 bond.

ARS 13-3107.A: Discharging a Firearm within City Limits, a class 6 felony.

ARS 13-3102.A4: Prohibited Possessor, a class 4 felony. 

Tre-Shawn Dorsett Mug Shot