Check out this Batman-like device that binds a suspect without using force

Police around the country have begun using a new tool that comes straight out of comic book lore: a device that shoots out a cord, binding a person's arms or legs together.

The BolaWrap 100, which some media organizations have compared to a tool from Batman's utility belt, was developed by Las Vegas-based Wrap Technologies. It allows the police to fire a Kevlar cord, and wraps tightly around a person.

Wrap Technologies has touted the benefits of the device as a way to subdue suspects without using force. But last week, when Los Angeles Police Department leaders told the city's board of police commissioners that it intended to test the device for a trial period in January, the LA Times reported that critics pushed back at this notion.

One member of Black Lives Matter, Adam Smith, told commissioners the department would probably deploy the tool mostly in minority communities, according to the LA Times.

Wrap Technologies has said over 100 police agencies across the country currently use the Bola Wrap.

(Wrap Technologies)

Or, it binds their legs together, restricting their movement.

The LAPD intends to start testing the device during a trial period in January.

This article originally appeared on Business Insider. Follow @BusinessInsider on Twitter.