Wilmington Police Department unveils non-lethal restraint device

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Officers with the Wilmington Police Department tested out a new piece of equipment Wednesday called the BolaWrap, a non-lethal type of restraint device. They say it’s one of the newest tools they’ll use to fight crime in the area.

“It’s like taking a set of handcuffs and throwing them on somebody,” said Wilmington Police Department Lieutenant Kevin Johnson.

When officers push a button on the BolaWrap device, a cord shoots out quickly and wraps tightly around the target’s legs.

“The ideal place to use it is from your knees to your ankles, of course,” Lt. Johnson said. “Then, you can go from your wrist to your elbows.”

Johnson says officers can deploy the cord from 10 to 25 feet away. The cord has hooks on the ends that sink into a suspect’s clothing, making them immobile.

Johnson says the BolaWrap is a non-lethal and painless restraint, which is why they tried it out on Assistant Chief Donny Williams.

“If you’re doing yard work or putting planters down, and you’re using stakes and strings to get your elevations,” Williams said, “and you sometimes forget that the stake and strings are there, that’s just what it felt like.”

The BolaWrap is another option for officers when they need to restrain someone, but might not want to use as much force. However, if suspects try to fight their way out of the devices grasp, they might not get very far.

“They will start to get embedded a little bit deeper and deeper,” Lt. Johnson said. “The more you struggle and the more you move, the deeper they’ll probably go into there.”

Johnson says the BolaWrap is fairly new to North Carolina, but is a big advance for departments everywhere.

“It’s 2019,” Lt. Johnson said, “so the public expects law enforcement to have some type of less lethal alternative. It’s as simple as that.”

The police department currently has two BolaWraps. Johnson says once everyone is trained, some officers will start carrying them on their patrols.