VANCOUVER, Washington — Newly released body-camera and dash-camera footage shows Vancouver Police K-9 Midas entering a stopped vehicle through the driver’s-side window as officers moved in to end a 40-minute standoff.
Fox News reported Thursday that Vancouver Police released the footage from a July 26 incident after officers received multiple reports of a driver who appeared impaired, had reportedly passed out behind the wheel and was allegedly inhaling from compressed-air cans.
A Grappler ended the vehicle pursuit
Police said the driver did not stop when officers tried to initiate a traffic stop. The footage reviewed by Fox shows the vehicle strike a curb, accelerate and nearly enter a yard while attempting to evade officers.
According to the department’s account relayed by Fox, an officer used a Grappler device because the driving posed an immediate danger to other people on the road. The device caught a rear wheel and brought the vehicle to a stop.
K-9 Midas helped officers close the distance
The driver remained inside and refused repeated commands during the standoff, according to the reports. After warnings and less-lethal measures did not produce a surrender, officers deployed Midas through the open driver’s-side window. Officers then surrounded the vehicle and took the driver into custody.
MotorBiscuit reported Saturday that Vancouver Police Sgt. Ryan Starbuck said Midas’ entry shifted the driver’s attention and gave officers time and distance to approach and control the person’s hands. The report says the six-year K-9 veteran was not injured.
The Oregonian/OregonLive and the New York Post also reported the bodycam release and the sequence involving the pursuit, Grappler, standoff and K-9 deployment.
Charges are allegations
The driver was booked into the Clark County Jail on allegations that included attempting to elude police, driving under the influence, reckless driving and resisting arrest, according to the reports. Charges are accusations; they do not establish guilt, and ThinBlueNews is not making an independent claim about impairment.
The footage offers a current look at how officers combined pursuit-stopping technology, time, warnings and a trained K-9 to resolve a prolonged roadside standoff without a reported injury to Midas.
Readers can find more verified service stories in ThinBlueNews’ police news, police K-9 stories and law-enforcement news sections.
Sources and visual disclosure
- Fox News — “Bodycam shows police K-9 leaping into action after suspected impaired driver refused to surrender,” Aug. 6, 2026.
- The Oregonian/OregonLive — “Vancouver K-9 jumps through car window after 40-minute police standoff with suspected impaired driver,” Aug. 6, 2026.
- MotorBiscuit — “Watch: Police K-9 Leaps Through Car Window to End 40-Minute Standoff With Impaired Driver,” Aug. 8, 2026.
- New York Post — “Washington police K-9 leaps into action after suspected impaired driver refuses to surrender,” Aug. 8, 2026.
Visual note: Vancouver Police bodycam and dashcam frames embedded by news publishers were used for source review only. ThinBlueNews did not copy agency or publisher pixels because the public release did not establish a reusable license. The featured image is an original, plainly labeled editorial timeline, not bodycam or incident imagery.
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