The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office is testing out a new, less lethal type of restraint in the wake of a string of officer-related deaths across the country.
The sheriff’s officers will test and evaluate a restraint called the “BolaWrap,” a handheld remote device that shoots an 8-foot long Kevlar cord with four pronged hooks, according to a post on the department’s Facebook account.
The restraint is designed to wrap around a person’s torso or legs from up to 25 feet away.
The tether keeps subjects from using their arms or legs, immobilizing them and allowing deputies to safely handle them without inflicting pain to achieve compliance.
There are more than 230 law enforcement agencies in 46 states using the BolaWrap as a restraint.
“We owe it to our deputies and the community we serve to explore and pursue the latest in public safety technology,” Sweetwater County Sheriff John Grossnickle said.
Grossnickle said he likes the minimal use of force and the fact the device doesn’t rely on pain to force compliance.
“It gives our deputies another option in safely dealing with someone who is noncompliant, without having to resort to using higher levels of force and while reducing the chance of injury to everyone involved,” the sheriff said.
