Paducah Police Department demonstrates BolaWrap device

PADUCAH, Ky. (KFVS) - Police departments around the country are turning to a new, high-tech tool designed to restrain a subject without causing serious injury.

Now, the small, hand-held device will be used by officers in Paducah.

“It’s just there to minimize the risk of harm to an individual, as well as to the officers,” Police Chief Brian Laird said.

Laird said that’s the goal when using the BolaWrap device.

First line supervisors practiced using it to restrain ankles and wrists.

“This is the BolaWrap. It is a remote restraint device, which essentially allows us the opportunity to send out an 8-foot Kevlar cord that has two anchor points around it,” Training Officer Chris Fearon explained.

He compared it to wrapping someone with a rubber band, and said it’s painless.

“It gives us the opportunity to try lower levels of de-escalation without the risk of injury,” Fearon said.

The department currently has five of them and they only use them in certain situations.

“It’s not going to be used in every call, it’s not going to be used every day, it may not be used every month,” Laird said.

He said this can be helpful for those with mental illnesses as well.

“So this is just for us to be able to gain control of them and hopefully prevent them from being injured and officers from being injured,” he said.

All first line supervisors were trained in Tuesdays session and are now certified.

Chief Laird said he wants to see how often they use the BolaWraps before deciding if he’ll get more devices for his officers.

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