Phoenix, United States - December 06, 2025 12/05/2025 11:00 pm GMT-0700 PHOENIX, Ariz. – According to the Phoenix Police Department, officers spotted an occupied stolen pickup truck near 43rd Avenue and McDowell Road around 11:00 p.m. Phoenix Police Tactical Support Bureau units responded to the area and began tracking the stolen vehicle from a distance. Rather than initiating a traffic stop and risking a felony flight, officers used a new piece of technology recently issued to specific special units within the Phoenix Police Department. The system is called StarChase, a GPS that fires an adhesive GPS tracker from a vehicle-mounted compressed-air launcher. The tracker adheres to the targeted vehicle and relays real-time location data. Officers deployed the StarChase launcher from the grille of an unmarked patrol vehicle and successfully planted a GPS tracker on the rear of the stolen pickup truck. Officers then tracked the vehicle via the relayed GPS data. The suspect eventually parked the stolen vehicle at a strip mall on 37th Avenue and McDowell Road. Officers in unmarked vehicles responded to the area and established surveillance positions around the suspect. The suspect then exited the vehicle and began walking east through the parking lot. Moments later, officers converged on the suspect and apprehended him without incident. The suspect, identified as an adult male, will face "theft means of transportation" related charges.