ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Local law enforcement agencies are considering a new, non-lethal option for police.
This comes in the wake of nationwide controversy over use of force.
"It gives you time, distance and options," said Donald De Lucca, BolaWrap chief strategy officer.
The BolaWrap is a hand-held remote restraint device that discharges an eight-foot Kevlar tether at 435 mph to entangle a person 10 to 25 feet away.
"What we do when we arrest people, put our hands on people, it's very tough," De Lucca said
Officers are often faced with difficult, split-second decisions that come with a lot of scrutiny. But De Lucca said the BolaWrap is a game-changer.
"There’s things that people would consider, 'Oh, that was awful.' and then they say it was lawful but awful. This is going to fill that spot. They're going to say, 'That makes sense when you use it,'" De Lucca said
The device has caught Roanoke County Police Chief Howard Hall's attention.
"The lowest level of force possible with the least risk of injury both to our officers and to citizens is what we're looking for," Hall said.
BolaWrap trainers demonstrated the device for several agencies across Southwest Virginia on Monday. Hall’s department is now testing it and considering joining more than 30 law enforcement agencies across the country to officially add it to their arsenal.
"I think they're going to say, ‘This saves lives,’" De Lucca said.
Click here to learn more about the BolaWrap.