Скачать или смотреть Cincinnati Police testing out non-lethal restraint device as possible tool

LOWER PRICE HILL, Ohio (WKRC) - Police departments around the country are under intense scrutiny after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Now, Cincinnati Police could get a new tool to keep suspects and officers safe while minimizing an officer's use of force.

When Kaleb Moore was armed with a knife in the West End in June, officers had to be tactful about how to deal with him. The 24-year-old was suicidal and suffering from mental illness, according to a 911 call made by his mother.

In an effort to de-escalate the situation, an officer accidentally fired a shotgun slug at Moore when he meant to fire a beanbag round.

Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac said, "I can think of a number of incidents recently where this may have been a device that we could have utilized."

Isaac is talking about a new tool called the Bolawrap. It's a non-lethal way of stopping a suspect and not hurting them. The department is looking at whether to add it to their officers' tools.

"We have a lot of options that our officers wear: chemical irritant, batons, Taser. Obviously, there are firearms, extra ammunition," Isaac explained.

The officer can keep a safe distance away from a person. Workers at the company that designed it say it's helpful, especially dealing with the mentally ill.

Mike Rothans with "Wrap Technology" said, "There is no perfect device for every situation. Not one device fits all. This device is meant to be used much earlier in an encounter to de-escalate a situation."

The device has a safety. Once the safety is off, the device can be charged and then it's ready to deploy an eight-inch Kevlar cord, which wraps around a suspect, stopping them from moving.

Veteran officers say in the current national climate of scrutiny on law enforcement, it's important to look for new ways to police, especially after the death of George Floyd.

"We would get generally about 40 agencies a week, prior to the Minneapolis incident. Now, we get about 40 agencies a day that are inquiring about the device," Rothans said.

Rothans knows the business well as a former assistant sheriff in Los Angeles County.

At this point, there's nothing set in stone, but Isaac says it's important to keep options open. He's looking into how the department would possibly roll out the device in Cincinnati. That includes whether all officers would carry it or whether to start with specialized units carrying the device, like the SWAT team.