Abbotsford police become 1st in B.C. to acquire ‘flying handcuffs’ as non

Abbotsford, B.C., police have a new tool at their disposal that is a non-lethal option to stop people from a distance.

The BolaWrap will be an option for officers who are responding to emotionally-charged or unpredictable situations.

The BolaWrap uses a tethering mechanism to restrain individuals, launching what has been described as flying handcuffs — that is, a short cord with two anchors that wraps around the suspect without causing pain, according to police.

Const. Alex Odintsov, with the training section of the Abbotsford Police Department, said they received the approval earlier this year after a 10-month application process.

“We dedicate a day to the training, the theoretical application of it, then we practice, then the scenario components of it,” he explained.

“Some situati