West

Police nationwide using high-tech weapon to apprehend suspects without injury: bodycam

Published

2 years ago

March 13, 2024

Press Room

Police nationwide using high-tech weapon to apprehend suspects without injury: bodycam

Join Fox News for access to this content

Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge.

Please enter a valid email address.

Several bodycam videos show police officers ending foot chases and taking down emotionally disturbed gunmen after shots rang out by wrapping them in wires from a distance.

The responding officers immobilize out-of-control suspects, who appear to be going through a mental health crisis or were on drugs, without hurting their targets and de-escalate situations that in the past might have spiraled out of control and ended in deaths.

It’s part of a “High Purpose Police Movement” that coincides with increased police run-ins with erratic suspects, who are 10 times more likely to be involved in a fatal law enforcement confrontation, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Fairfax County, Virginia, Police Chief Kevin Davis said it “prioritizes safety and emphasizes de-escalation” and it’s “expected to transform our incident resolution capacity, especially in crisis situations.”

UNSOLVED CASE WITH CONSTANTLY CHANGING CAUSES OF DEATH TORE FAMILY APART, LED TO VICTIM’S SISTER’S SUICIDE: ‘I WANT ANSWERS’

A suspect is heard in the bodycam video saying, “I don’t have control of my body. You’re trying to decapitate me out here,” but the new tech wraps the erratic suspect without pain and allows police to take him into custody. (Mountlake Terrace Police Department via WRAP)

As tools are pulled from law enforcement’s toolbox, including physical restraints like certain choke holds, which are banned in about half the states, they need to be replaced.

That’s where technology, like the hand-held restraint device dubbed “the Bola” comes in.

In several bodycam videos of police in Mountlake Terrace, Washington state, which were shared with Fox News Digital, responding officers yell commands like “Prepping Bola” before launching the device.

SLAIN ARTIST PENS FOREBODING POST BEFORE CLASSMATE WITH MURDER MANIFESTO ALLEGEDLY STABS HER 37 TIMES

An armed suspect is immobilized and subdued from a distance without any injuries. (Mountlake Terrace Police Department via WRAP)

In each video, the suspect is immobilized and on the ground without hand-to-hand combat or the use of a firearm. In one video, a gunman threatened to open fire.

A couple of shots were heard in the background, but no one was injured, and the video shows the captured suspect wrapped like a Spider-Man villain and taken into custody.

WATCH: Police bring down armed suspect in bodycam footage

Scot Cohen, CEO of WRAP, said the mental health crisis, especially in major cities, is worsening every year, and responding officers are dispatched to tumultuous scenes where anything can happen.

“Thousands of people who get in violent altercations with police each year are battling a mental health crisis,” Cohen told Fox News Digital. “Our tools don’t hurt people to get them the help they need, whereas other tools that have been used in the past rely on pain-compliance.”

“While there are surely many cases where force is the only way to subdue a suspect, there are many others where force is not necessary.”

WOMAN WHO SURVIVED SEX ASSAULT AS TEEN REACTS TO JUDGE BENCHED AFTER OVERTURNING HER ATTACKER’S CONVICTION

The restraint wraps wires around the suspect and immobilizes him/her. (Mountlake Terrace Police Department via WRAP)

The Fairfax County Police Department, which is near the nation’s capital, is the latest department to implement the new technology after a pilot program that started in November 2022.

“With a number of positive outcomes achieved, the department determined the deployment of BolaWrap to all patrol officers would be an invaluable asset to our police toolkit,” the Fairfax County Police Department said in a press release.

Fairfax County police in Virginia show how the hand-held restraint device called “the Bola” works. (Fairfax County Police Department)

Mental health and opioid crisis

Police and WRAP sent Fox News Digital several bodycam videos that showed a variety of situations where the BolaWrap was deployed.

In one of the videos, a suspect yells at police, “I don’t have control of my body. You’re trying to decapitate me out here.”

VOLUNTEER DIVERS FOUND HUMAN REMAINS IN CAR FROM 42-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY: ‘WE PASSED THAT POND EVERY DAY’

Responding officers ready their BolaWrap as they chase a suspect. (Mountlake Terrace Police Department via WRAP)

It’s unclear if the subject in the video was going through a mental health crisis or was under the influence, but officers from the Mountlake Terrace grabbed the Bola and went to work.

In the video, a green laser dot appears on his leg. That’s the target. From several feet away, an officer fires the wire, and the subject quickly surrenders without incident.

Watch full bodycam video of the situation

“America is in the midst of a mental health and opioid crisis, and police have never before spent more time dealing with mentally ill suspects,” the company WRAP said in a statement.

“Their day-to-day job is now less a matter of chasing violent criminals, and more so a matter of pacifying non-compliant individuals who don’t pose a deadly threat.”

‘BIBLE BELT STRANGER’ UNCOVERED AS SERIAL KILLER CULPRIT IN ‘REDHEAD MURDERS’

NAMI details a list of obstacles for law enforcement when confronting EDPs – emotionally disturbed persons – or individuals on drugs.

NAMI said “use of force disproportionately impacts people with mental illness,” making it imperative for law enforcement to revamp training and utilize technology.

Officers in the Fairfax County Police Department conduct training on how to use the BolaWrap. (Fairfax County Police Department)

“Interactions between law enforcement and people with mental illness often escalate and can even be deadly,” NAMI says on its website, “often because a person in a mental health crisis may have symptoms that appear threatening or impact their ability to listen to police commands.”

While the advocacy group suggests police shouldn’t be the first on the scene with someone with mental illness, it’s not the reality.

With that said, “it is critical that law enforcement has the tools, resources and training to reduce the use of force when they do respond,” according to NAMI.

Fox News Digital’s Emily Robertson contributed to this report.

Read the full article from Here

California

Preliminary magnitude 3.3 earthquake strikes near San Ramon, USGS says

Published

3 minutes ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Preliminary magnitude 3.3 earthquake strikes near San Ramon, USGS says

SAN RAMON, Calif. (KGO) — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.4 struck near San Ramon at 11:21 p.m. Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

USGS said the tremor was about 8.4 km in depth.

According to the Geological Survey, people typically report feeling earthquakes larger than about magnitude 2.5.

The closer to the surface an earthquake occurs, the more ground shaking and potential damage it will cause.

No injuries have been reported.

This is the latest quake in San Ramon, which has seen multiple strings of tremors in the past several months.

Bay City News contributed to this report.

MAP: Significant San Francisco Bay Area fault lines and strong earthquakes
Zoom in on the map below and compare where you live to the significant faults and where strong earthquakes have struck in the Bay Area.

Stay with ABC7 News for the latest details on this developing story.

RELATED STORIES & VIDEOS:

Source link

Colorado

Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder dies in single-car crash at age 23, police say

Published

9 minutes ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder dies in single-car crash at age 23, police say

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) – Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder died early Sunday morning in a single-car crash, police said. He was 23.

Ponder was driving a 2023 Tesla when he lost control on a curve and hit a guardrail, according to the Colorado State Patrol. The car struck an electrical line pole and rolled down an embankment.

Ponder was pronounced dead at the scene in Boulder County. Police said a preliminary investigation “shows that speed is suspected as a factor.”

FILE – Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder (22) warms up before an NCAA college football game Sept. 14, 2024, in Fort Collins, Colo.(Source: AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Ponder played in two games for the Buffaloes last season, going 0-for-1 passing and carrying the ball twice for a loss of 4 yards. The 6-foot-5 sophomore from Opa Locka, Florida, began his collegiate career at Bethune-Cookman before transferring.

The Buffs were slated to begin spring practice on Monday.

“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends & Loved ones,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders posted on X. “Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader. Let’s pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord you’re receiving a good 1.”

Colorado offensive coordinator Brennan Marion reposted Sanders’ statement and called Ponder a joy to be around and coach.

“Getting that call from his dad today didn’t feel real,” Marion posted. “Love you Dom! God cover his family & our team, especially our qb room!”

Colorado athletic director Fernando Lovo said Ponder “epitomized the values of passion, enthusiasm, leadership, toughness, and intelligence that were revered by his teammates and coaches alike.” The athletic department said it would make counseling resources available to players and staff.

Fellow Colorado quarterback Colton Allen also paid tribute to Ponder on Instagram.

“Dom, you were a blessing to so many people,” Allen wrote. “You had a presence about you that just made everything better. You brought so much joy to me and everyone around you. I’m grateful for every lift, every practice, every rep, every conversation we got to share. I’ll carry those with me for the rest of my life.”

The Big 12 Conference extended its condolences in a post on X.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and apnews.com/hub/college-football

Source link

Hawaii

Hawaii County Weather Forecast for March 02, 2026 | Big Island Now

Published

39 minutes ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Hawaii County Weather Forecast for March 02, 2026 | Big Island Now

Photo Credit: James Grenz

Hilo

Tonight: Cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Lows 59 to 66 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Monday: Cloudy with isolated showers. Highs 75 to 80 near the shore to around 65 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Monday Night: Cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 59 to 65 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Kona

Tonight: Cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 69 near the shore to 45 to 52 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Monday: Cloudy. Highs 81 to 86 near the shore to around 67 near 5000 feet. Light winds becoming west up to 10 mph in the afternoon.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows around 69 near the shore to 44 to 51 near 5000 feet. Northwest winds around 10 mph in the evening becoming light.

Waimea

Tonight: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 68 near the shore to 53 to 59 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph increasing to up to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Monday: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the morning. Highs 72 to 78 near the shore to 67 to 75 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 67 near the shore to 52 to 58 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Kohala

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

Monday: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the morning. Highs 72 to 78 near the shore to 67 to 75 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 67 near the shore to 52 to 58 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

South Big Island

Tonight: Cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 71 near the shore to around 51 near 5000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Monday: Cloudy and breezy. Highs around 83 near the shore to around 64 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Lows around 70 near the shore to around 50 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph.

Puna

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

Monday: Cloudy with isolated showers. Highs 75 to 80 near the shore to around 65 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Monday Night: Cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 59 to 65 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Waikoloa

Tonight: Cloudy. Lows around 70 near the shore to 48 to 54 above 4000 feet. Light winds.

Monday: Cloudy. Highs around 83 near the shore to 65 to 71 above 4000 feet. Light winds becoming northwest up to 15 mph in the afternoon.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows around 70 near the shore to 47 to 54 above 4000 feet. North winds 10 to 15 mph shifting to the east after midnight.

Synopsis

The cold front has dissipated into a trough and remains northwest of the Hawaiian Islands this evening. High pressure will build in from the north and allow the trade winds to strengthen from Monday through Wednesday. Brief passing showers will favor windward and mountain areas in the overnight to early morning hours through Wednesday and then over southeastern slopes and island interior sections from Thursday onward. Winds will weaken and veer slightly from a more east-southeast direction from Thursday on into the weekend. Shower activity will remain limited during this time period.

Short term update

The large band of high level cirrus clouds and mid level alto stratus clouds currently over the islands will continue to slowly diminish through Monday. The cold front approaching the islands has stalled and diminished into a trough just northwest of the island of Kauai.
Trade winds blow into the region and strengthen into the moderate to locally breezy range from Monday through Wednesday. A slight decrease in wind speeds and a shift from a more east- southeast direction remains in the forecast from Thursday onward as another cold front approaches the islands from the northwest, weakening and lifting the ridge north of the state. Local scale sea breeze winds will develop along terrain sheltered slopes of each island as the large scale winds weaken. Limited shower activity will prevail into next weekend with only brief showers possible.
The afternoon forecast looks good. No evening updates.

Previous discussion

Issued at 302 PM HST Sun Mar 1 2026.
Expectations for this afternoon remain on track. The boundary upstream of Kauai has made little to no forward progress today, sea breezes have struggled to establish owing to abundant high clouds, and showers southwest of Kauai and Oahu have essentially remained in place while stratiform elements peel off to the northeast. In addition, regenerating showers over Windward Oahu have dissipated in response to backing low-level flow. All told, an uneventful, cloudy, and mostly dry day across the state. Going forward, building heights over the N Central Pacific will maintain strengthening, but progressive high pressure at the surface. This in turn ensures the return of trades tonight which then become breezy during mid-week. Winds diminish slightly by late week as trades veer to ESE in advance of another round of upstream height falls. Typical trade wind weather anticipated throughout this time with showers focused windward and mauka. High clouds gradually clear from west to east Monday into Tuesday before exiting the area altogether by Wednesday.

Aviation

A weakening stationary boundary will allow for abundant high clouds and relatively light land/sea breezes to prevail across most TAF sites. This front will also allow for disorganized showers across Kauai and Oahu tonight, however confidence was on the lower end based on weather model guidance, so made use of VCSH and PROB30 where rain chances were felt to be the highest. MVFR conditions may prevail under shower activity, otherwise VFR is expected across most sites for the period.
AIRMET Tango remains in effect across the islands due to upper- level turbulence from FL200-400 due to this front, with conditions expected to improve into tomorrow as this system continues to weaken. Patchy mountain obscuration may occur due to the presence of this front, however observations and webcams suggest that the threat is not widespread enough to warrant an AIRMET at this time. Light icing is also possible in cloud layer 120-180.

Marine

Issued at 302 PM HST Sun Mar 1 2026.
A dissipated front will linger into Monday just northwest of the area. Fresh to locally strong easterly trades will build in by Tuesday as surface ridge strengthens to the north. Winds will maintain strength but veer east southeast towards the end of the week as another system approaches from the west.
Surf along north and west-facing shores will be above seasonal average as a northwest swell (310 degrees) is expected to impact through Monday. Surf should remain small though the week with a small northwest bump expected next weekend.
Surf along exposed east-facing shores will be a bit elevated due to a short-to medium-period northeast (40 degrees) swell, then decline Tuesday. However, period and choppy conditions are expected to return by Tuesday as fresh trade winds redevelop and expand upstream of the state.
Surf along south-facing shores will remain near the seasonal average into March.