LAPD to test device for snaring suspects

The Los Angeles Police Department will begin testing a device designed to snare a person from a distance, giving officers an alternative to firing a Taser or a gun.

The Los Angeles Times reports department officials told the city Police Commission that officers will start testing the tool for free for 90 days beginning in January.

The device called the BolaWrap 100 fires a Kevlar cord that wraps around a person 10 to 25 feet away.

The device will be distributed to 200 LAPD officers once they are trained.

The Times says dozens of police departments across the United States are testing or have purchased the devices.