By the time you hear it, it's too late.
That's what law officers who volunteered Tuesday at the Wake County Law Enforcement Training Center experienced, as they found themselves instantly bound with a thin wire during a demonstration of the BolaWrap.
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And there's a reason for that loud bang that comes from what looks like a brightly colored slab of plastic.
"It's a diversion," said Donald DeLucca of Wrap Technologies, "just like officers use a flash bang, something else to distract people. That's what the bang is for."
His company is behind the high-tech device designed to safely subdue someone who confronts a law officer. The plastic slab fires a thin cord, faster than the eye can see. Seconds later, that cord, secured by tiny hooks, has its target all tied up like with a lasso.
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Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker was one of the law officers who felt the BolaWrap's power first hand. Did he feel any pain?
"I wouldn't say pain." he replied. "Just a little sensation, I would say. You can feel the hooks come around when they grab hold of your clothing. You feel the heat from the prongs, but not bad. We want to make sure, whatever tools we bring in to use, that we think about the safety of the suspect as well as the officer."
The BolaWrap is getting evaluated now, by the Wake County Sheriff's Department and other agencies.
The BolaWrap hasn't been yet purchased by any local law enforcement agency.