OVIEDO, Fla. — Officers with the Oviedo Police Department are being equipped with a new non-lethal tool to help them restrain non-compliant people.
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The “BolaWrap” is described as a pain-free restraint device that allows officers to gain control of a situation with a lower level of necessary force.
Over recent years, police officers across the country have been criticized for their use of force while trying to detain people during arrests.
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The Oviedo Police Department is just the latest law enforcement agency to deploy new options for restraining people without injuring them.
Unlike a taser, there’s no electrical charge emitted by the BolaWrap device.
The tool utilizes a laser to help officers aim at the subject’s legs and fires a tether that immobilizes them from a distance of up to 25-feet.
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“What it does is it fires out a seven and a half foot length of rope that has a couple tethers on it,” Oviedo Police Department Sgt. Wade Weaver explained. “It’s designed to wrap a subject up.”
Now, Oviedo police officers will be using the BolaWrap on individuals they believe are going to resist them, allowing them to avoid using higher levels of force such as batons, tasers or their service weapon.
“Our goal is just to get compliance with the least amount of force,” Sgt. Weaver said. “So if we can wrap you up and gain that compliance, that’s the goal.”
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Each BolaWrap cartridge contains one tether that can wrap a person around the legs or around the arms and torso. The more the subject moves, the tighter the rope becomes.
Right now, the Oviedo Police Department has eight BolaWraps. Each Sargeant is equipped with one and two are used per shift. So far, they have not actually had to deploy them.
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