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LAYTON – Some Utah police departments gathered in Layton where a company demonstrated a new nonlethal tool that could be used to constrain suspects.
It's called the BolaWrap and would be used in specific situations designed to help police stop people who are suffering a personal crisis without doing any harm.
It sounds a bit like a gun when it is deployed. A cord with hooks on the ends is ejected, wrapping snuggly around the suspect's torso or legs.
"Officers can deploy the device remotely, from anywhere between 10-to-25 feet, and safely detain a person," said Becky Crannis-Curl, a master instructor for Wrap Technologies.
A mannequin was used as a target, but some officers volunteered to be wrapped during a demonstration Tuesday.
The Bola Wrap is not designed for every situation, but it can help police deal with a person who may be belligerent or refusing to cooperate.
Crannis-Curl said it's a quick way to shut them down.
"If it's a person that's verbally noncompliant, there's a reason for a custody or detainment, then the officer can make that judgment without putting themselves in a situation where they may be harmed," she said.
It's different from a taser because there is no pain involved.
More than 380 agencies have tested or use the BolaWrap nationwide, including the North Salt Lake Police Department.
