D.C.-area police roll out 'electronic lasso'

BolaWrap electronic lasso
(Image credit: Courtesy BolaWrap)

Police across the country are adding a new weapon to their belts, and civil rights groups aren't thrilled about it.

Police departments in Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas have started training with BolaWrap, an "electronic lasso" that shoots a 25-foot cord that wraps around a suspect's legs or waist. It's framed as non-lethal way to restrain people, but activists say it's just an excuse to avoid using de-escalation tactics that don't involve getting physically involved with people at all.

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Kathryn Krawczyk

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.