Bodycam Illustrates Unpredictable Challenges of Safely Intervening with Person in Crisis and How BolaWrap Can Help
On June 13, 2021, Bladensburg Police Department responded to a call from a mentally ill subject claiming that 12 people had broken into his home. Upon arrival, officers found that the subject’s claim was untrue, and his mother told the responding officers that the subject was having a psychiatric episode. The officers decided to take the subject to a hospital for an emergency evaluation, but the subject attempted to flee, posing a risk to himself and the officers. The officers deployed the BolaWrap, successfully wrapping the subject’s legs and enabling them to safely place him in handcuffs and into an ambulance to get help without injury or force.
“This is an excellent display of the use of the BolaWrap remote restraint device,” said Chief Tyron Collington of Bladensburg PD. “The person was in need of mental help, and officers displayed impeccable skills and training that prevented injuries to everyone. Thanks to the BolaWrap, we had a successful conclusion to this incident.”
The bodycam footage can be viewed here.
In January 2021, Bladensburg PD shared an image of their officers carrying the BolaWrap to help protect the presidential inauguration at Capitol Hill.
Maryland and D.C.’s BolaWrap distributor, East Coast Tactical, will demonstrate the BolaWrap this afternoon at the Maryland Municipal League’s (MML) Municipal Police Executive Annual Conference (in Ocean City, Maryland.
Located in the state capital of Annapolis, the MML was founded in 1936 and represents 157 municipal governments and two special taxing districts throughout the State of Maryland. A voluntary, nonprofit, nonpartisan association controlled and maintained by city and town governments, MML works to strengthen and support municipal government through advocacy and the development of effective leadership.
Today, more than 600 agencies in the U.S. and 44 countries currently have BolaWrap devices.
