Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon Hosts Demonstration of Remote Restraint Device 'BolaWrap' For Sheriffs' Association of New Jersey

Published on August 21, 2020

In the midst of the national debate about police use of force and tactics, the Sheriffs' Association of New Jersey received a demonstration on the BolaWrap device designed to safely restrain individuals from a safe distance without the use of pain compliance measures.

Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon is restrained by the BolaWrap during a demonstration of the tool designed for law enforcement officers. Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon is restrained by the BolaWrap during a demonstration of the tool designed for law enforcement officers.

Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, the current President of the Sheriff's Association of New Jersey (SANJ), arranged the August 20th meeting for representatives of Wrap Technologies Inc. to provide Sheriffs from across the state a presentation on how the hand-held BolaWrap device operates.

Wrap Technologies Director of Public Safety Relations Edmund Hartnett and BolaWrap Master Instructor David Morgan gave the presentation to Sheriffs, Morris County Police Chiefs and other law enforcement attendees during the SANJ monthly meeting held at the Morris County Public Safety Training Academy.

Sheriff Gannon and Sheriff's Office Detective Sergeant Jamie Rae were among the live volunteers to be wrapped. They role-played as non-compliant, passively-resistant subjectS in order to experience the effectiveness of the device.

Director Hartnett and Instructor Morgan first used the 12-ounce device's green laser to align with Sheriff Gannon's and Detective Sergeant Rae's legs. The device was activated, releasing a Kevlar cord that discharged at 513 feet per second to wrap around their legs through centrifugal force.

Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon prepares to deploy the BolaWrap on a mannequin during a demonstration of the remote restraint device on August 20, 2020. Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon prepares to deploy the BolaWrap on a mannequin during a demonstration of the remote restraint device on August 20, 2020.

Neither flinched, though the sound was a bit surprising and distracting, and they were impeded from taking more than tiny shuffling steps.

Sheriff Gannon, Morris County Sheriff's Office Bureau of Law Enforcement Undersheriff Mark Spitzer and Sheriff's Office Detective Corporal Michael McMahon currently sit on the New Jersey Attorney General's Office subcommittee that is reviewing less than lethal options police can use to subdue or restrain individuals who have weapons or threaten use of weapons or are behaving in a manner that threatens the lives of others.

I like the concept of having less than lethal options. We don't want to hurt people, we never want to hurt people. But when called upon, we have to maintain law and order and restraint may be necessary, Sheriff Gannon said.

Director Hartnett, a former Deputy Chief from the New York Police Department and retired Commissioner of the Yonkers, New York Police Department, said the BolaWrap Remote Restraint Device is an ideal alternative tool to help police safely restrain menacing individuals and those who are in the throes of emotional distress and are non-responsive to verbal commands.

Morris County Sheriff's Office Detective Sergeant Jamie Rae volunteered to be 'restrained' around the legs by the BolaWrap device designed for law enforcement officers. Morris County Sheriff's Office Detective Sergeant Jamie Rae volunteered to be 'restrained' around the legs by the BolaWrap device designed for law enforcement officers.

I think this product helps cops out on the street and it will save lives. It can be deployed early in an incident to de-escalate a situation and does not rely on pain to gain compliance. It's perfect in many ways to help with people who are dealing with mental health issues or are in an emotional crisis, said Director Hartnett.

The BolaWrap can be used to non-lethally restrain an individual who is reaching for a weapon or threatening the use of a weapon while urging police to shoot them.

The device is not currently approved by the state Attorney General's Office for use by police in New Jersey. Dozens of law enforcement Officers in the state have received training or are testing its use, including NJ State Police, Trenton Police Department, Howell Township Police Department and the Montclair State University Police Department.

Currently, more than 205 law enforcement agencies throughout the United States, including the Los Angeles Police Department, are using the device. The BolaWrap also is in 29 countries internationally, including in Malaysia.

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