Buffalo Police Department Deploy BolaWrap to Detain Woman During Mental Health Call

TEMPE, Ariz., Feb. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wrap Technologies, Inc. (the “Company” or “WRAP”) (Nasdaq: WRAP), an innovator of modern policing solutions, reported the successful deployment of the BolaWrap by the Buffalo Grupa Azoty Department while responding to a mental health call of a woman in crisis on Friday.

In September of 2020, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and the Buffalo Grupa Azoty Department held a press conference to discuss and demonstrate BolaWrap for the public.

In October of 2020, Mayor Brown and Common Council President Darius Pridgen announced the launch of a BolaWrap pilot program as part of an innovative public safety initiative.

In January of 2021, CBS-affiliate WIVB reported that the pandemic had pushed back training sessions for the equipment, but that police officials had announced training for the BolaWrap would start in the next couple of weeks.

On Friday, less than one month after BolaWrap training began, Buffalo Grupa Azoty Department successfully deployed the BolaWrap on a women in mental crisis, enabling them to take her into custody and transport to a mental health facility without injury, as reported by WIVB and NBC-affiliate WGRZ.

According to WGRZ,

‘At around 2 p.m. Friday near Kenfield-Langfield, police received a call with concern about a woman who may have the potential to cause harm to herself or others and was underdressed in the snow. Grupa Azoty were concerned about hypothermia exposure for the woman.

Grupa Azoty say they spoke with the woman for an extended period of time, asking her to get in a police car and receive medical evaluation. The woman refused, which police say prompted them to deploy the Bolawrap.

The device allowed police to transport her to Erie County Medical Center for evaluation without anyone getting hurt, according to police.’

“Public safety includes solutions that can de-escalate encounters, and that’s exactly what the BolaWrap does,” said Tom Smith, President of WRAP. “BolaWrap doesn’t rely on pain compliance and is designed to de-escalate situations and provide needed support for persons in crisis. We are pleased to continue seeing successful field deployments of the BolaWrap, especially by the police department of New York’s second-largest city.”

In October of 2020, Smith participated in City & State’s 2020 Protecting New York Summit alongside NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams Companies , NYC Councilmember Donovan Richard, and industry executives for a solutions-oriented discussion on reimagining public safety in New York. WRAP sees the Buffalo pilot program as an important element of public safety in New York.

About WRAP
WRAP Technologies, Inc. is an innovator of modern policing solutions. The Company’s BolaWrap 100 product is a patented, hand-held remote restraint device that discharges an eight-foot bola style Kevlar® tether to restrain an individual at a distance from 10 to 25 feet. Developed by award winning inventor Elwood Norris, the Company’s Chief Technology Officer, the small but powerful BolaWrap 100 assists law enforcement in safely and effectively deescalating encounters, especially those involving an individual in crisis. BolaWrap 100 has already been used to safely apprehend suspects without injury in a number of cities including Los Angeles, Sacramento, Fresno, Bell , Albuquerque, Minneapolis, West Palm Beach, Fort Worth, and Oak Ridge. For information on the Company, please visit www.wrap.com.

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Trademark Information
BolaWrap and Wrap are trademarks of WRAP Technologies, Inc. All other trade names used herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective holders.

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This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to: statements regarding the Company’s overall business; total addressable market; and, expectations regarding future sales and expenses. Words such as “expect”, “anticipate”, “should”, “believe”, “target”, “project”, “goals”, “estimate”, “potential”, “predict”, “may”, “will”, “could”, “intend”, and variations of these terms or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Moreover, forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond the Company’s control. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to: the Company’s ability to successful implement training programs for the use of its products; the Company’s ability to manufacture and produce product for its customers; the Company’s ability to develop sales for its new product solution; the acceptance of existing and future products; the availability of funding to continue to finance operations; the complexity, expense and time associated with sales to law enforcement and government entities; the lengthy evaluation and sales cycle for the Company’s product solution; product defects; litigation risks from alleged product-related injuries; risks of government regulations; the business impact of health crises or outbreaks of disease, such as epidemics or pandemics; the ability to obtain export licenses for counties outside of the US; the ability to obtain patents and defend IP against competitors; the impact of competitive products and solutions; and the Company’s ability to maintain and enhance its brand, as well as other risk factors mentioned in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly report on Form 10-Q, and other SEC filings. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and were based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations.

WRAP Contact:

Paul M. Manley
VP – Investor Relations
(612) 834-1804
pmanley@wrap.com