Body armor saves lives. Yes, it’s hot and uncomfortable, but it stops bullets sent in your direction by bad guys. A Denver cop learned that first-hand earlier this month when a lunatic named Nicholas Lendrum opened fire on the officer as he worked in his squad car outside a Quality Inn hotel. The armor soaked up three rounds, allowing the officer to do the only polite thing: return fire.
The body armor-less Lendrum, 35, absorbed several rounds of the 17 the wounded officer fired back at him.
The video is pretty graphic and shows the officer bailing out of his car and using cover and concealment long enough to mount a counter-attack on his would-be killer.
The perp fired 18 rounds and was carrying a spare magazine and a second gun. Fortunately the cop’s shots found their mark enough that suspect Lendrum was unable to bring the additional gun and ammo to bear. Lendrum died of his wounds.
Here’s the local CBS News report . . .
The Denver Police Department released new information Wednesday about two separate officer-involved shootings that occurred on June 7.
In the first incident, an officer was patrolling the Quality Inn near Zuni Street and Speer Boulevard early in the morning. A man who has been identified as Nicholas Lendrum allegedly walked out of the Quality Inn and without hesitation began firing at the DPD officer. The officer was struck three times in his bulletproof vest and returned fire, striking and killing the suspect.
“All of the rounds apparently were stopped by the bulletproof vest that he was wearing,” said Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas.
That didn’t stop the officer from suffering some nasty bruising and potentially cracked ribs or similar injuries. I’ve seen images of cops shot in their body armor and the bruises are big and ugly. However that beats gunshot wounds.
The Police Activity YouTube channel has several videos of late of officers being shot, sometimes while engaging bad guys and other times getting ambushed like this instance.
In another Denver incident, another officer was wounded while pursuing a fleeing felon.
Another officer suffered a gunshot in the arm and arterial bleeding during an extended shootout in Ogden, Utah.
And a Border Patrol officer was beaten senseless with a club before his attacker was neutralized by other agents.
And an Arizona State Trooper shot during a traffic stop.
These were all from the last few days.
Hopefully this isn’t reflective of a sharply increasing trend of cops being wounded or killed by criminal suspects in today’s world.
Better to have and not need than to need and not have.
uncomm_sense, that should not be uncommon at all. It is common sense. I have three ballistic vests. Yes, they are left over from LEO days and expired. I have no doubt they will work. Safariland and Second Chance. I’ve given several vests away to friends over the years. They were expired also. Before I began that practice I strapped an expired Second Chance to a Florida yellow pine. I shot it twice with a 6″ Python with 158 gr jacketed HP at about ten yards. It was a two leaf clover. A third round in the same place would have penetrated. What’s th6 odds of that in a gunfight? Point is, that was 1984 technology. It did knock the bark off the tree. Vests are legal in most states. in Florida only illegal if you’re wearing one in the commission of a felony. I don’t wear one every day anymore, but I keep one handy. They cost less than a decent handgun. Think of it as a seat belt.
Unless you are storing it in a swamp or have worn it day in and out for a decade plus kevlar is fine
use the insert….it will still work
Gadsden Flag,
I would much rather “take my chances” with an expired ballistic vest than with no vest.
And you make an excellent point that an attacker placing three shots in more-or-less the exact same spot during an actual attack (which is highly dynamic) is a virtual impossibility.
For reference regarding your test (shooting an expired vest against a tree) that tree has zero give (flex) versus a “squishy” human body so I am convinced that your expired vest would be that much more protective on a human body.
In case my last claim is not clear, consider common modern archery targets which are nothing more than a burlap bag stuffed (and I mean REALLY stuffed) with random size/shape cloth scraps. They stop arrows and even bolts fired from most cross bows. Obviously, an arrow or crossbow bolt–known for their ability to penetrate even sandbags–should zip right through a few cloth scraps. And yet they do not. Why? Because the cloth scraps are strong AND SQUISHY. Thus, while arrows and bolts will penetrate the first few layers of cloth scraps in a target, their squishyness prevents the arrows from penetrating through. The same principle applies to the Kevlar fibers in a ballistic vest–they are even more effective at stopping penetration when they are against a “squish” human torso.
uncommon, I don’t bow hunt anymore, but when I did I shot a Matthews into a block target. As well as a few whitetails. When I conducted that primitive test I was fresh out of the Army. The vest belonged to a friend. I don’t remember where he acquired it. I urged him not to shoot it. I tried to buy it. A few years later I began participating in more scientific tests of ballistic vests. With the manufacturers. And I was paid to do it with free ammo. Life was good.
“Perry Mason” routinely portrayed cops as dirty back in the late ’50s and early ’60s.
Decades of copaganda shows have magically turned them into superheroes. Perry was right.
Oooh. edgy revolutionary. The 60’s called. They want your ass back.
Perry Mason was an “edgy revolutionary” in bootlicking culture, apparently.
But he’s not wrong. Perry Mason DID often portray cops as bad, or in the case of the main detective, incompetent or outright malicious in his attempts to arrest and charge the wrong person. That pretty much stopped by the time the 70s came around.
Is that the same body armor they don’t want ME to have?!?🙃🙄 Mikey…
I’d lay high stakes at long odds the answer to that question is YES you may NOT own that stuff. Why? Cuz ER’RE SPESHULL and you ain’t. T
See NY hissy fit laws of last year. With that said lv2 can be very concealable and relatively comfortable and cover all but a few likely threats.
yes, its the same gun AND body armor the gun-grabbers don’t you to have. Your life is not as important as that police officers life, yes, that police officer that might show up several minutes after that maybe several seconds it took for the bad guy to kill you.
The average time it takes an attacker with a knife to seriously injure or kill with a knife is about 5 seconds.
The average time it takes an attacker with a blunt object to seriously injure or kill with a blunt object is about 8 seconds.
The average time it takes an attacker, using brute force, to get through the average home locked interior hollow core door is 15 seconds (yes, that door you barricade yourself behind).
The average time it takes police to arrive in response to the 911 call is 5 minutes or more (depending on region and area and workload and manpower – nationwide the average is about 11 minutes)
Conclusion: Police will arrive to “save you” just like the anti-gun say … a minimum of about 4 minutes (on a good day) AFTER you have been seriously injured or killed.
The average time it takes a defender employing DGU to stop a bad guy/gal FROM attacking them with a knife or blunt object is 3 seconds.
Nationwide, May 2022 to May 2023, of all violent crimes categories (including sexually based offenses and domestic violence) where the criminal attacker used a ‘weapon’ of any type (e.g. hands/feet, knife, club, firearm, etc…), an average of 92% of victims not armed with a firearm (and even if armed with other items for defense e.g. knife, club, pepper spray…and even if complying with attacker demands) were seriously harmed (average 23% of victims killed on scene 11% died later from serious injuries sustained in the attack). (% is rounded to nearest %)
Nationwide, May 2022 to May 2023, of all violent crime categories (including sexually based offenses and domestic violence) where the criminal attacker used a ‘weapon’ of any type (e.g. hands/feet, knife, club, firearm, etc…), an average of 98% of victims armed with a firearm AND employing DGU in the beginning seconds of the attack escaped serious harm or death (average 1% of victims were killed on scene and 1% died later from serious injuries sustained in the attack). (% is rounded to nearest %).
But that’s ok, the police have body armor and guns anti-gun don’t want you to have because somehow while you are being attacked and seriously injured or killed the police are some how more vulnerable and important than you are in that period of time while the attacker is seriously injuring or killing you.
.40 cal Booger,
I totally believe your data/numbers. Of course detractors will not accept your data/numbers as reliable unless you can cite realiable sources. Can you share your sources? That might (emphasis on “might”) be the deciding fact which persuades naysayers to finally join our ranks.
Sadly I do believe this string of cops under fire is nothing but the warmup.
Those who would have our country destabiised and in chaos know LE are now taking their assignd duties far more seriously than in the recent past, and that this threatens the plans of “certain factions” to bring us to chaos and prime us for takeover. The whole “defid the police”, replace them with “counsellors”, no bail catch and release, the disarming if we the People, the “operation demobilisation” they are trying to inflict upon us by the “cly mutt chayngs” insanity, and so on. The rise of crime and targetting of those charged with suppressing it is part of the same picture.
For those curious, the firearms the criminal used in this Denver shooting were a Glock 26 with a 17-round magazine, and a Smith & Wesson Model 442. He did not have the chance to bring out the revolver before the cop turned his lights out permanently.
Shown here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJNiUJY0FfE&t=1m45s
Funtime videos I’m sure, but not opening a YouTube account for any reason.
“Funtime videos I’m sure, but not opening a YouTube account for any reason.”
You don’t need to, when tools are available to do the work for you.
The Firefox browser has a plug-in/extension/whatever you wanna call it that bypasses the YouTube login requirement called “Age Restriction Bypass for YouTube”. Once installed, it shows an “unlock” button on the age-blocked video you just click.
Find it under the menu “Tools – Add-ons and Themes” in Firefox.
Firefox has all kinds of powerful add-ons that makes web surfing a *lot* more pleasant…
Thanks.
I tried that with Firefox, doesn’t work. Maybe its firefox version dependent, I’m using the latest version.
which is odd because at the bottom of the video it adds
“Video brought to you by RestrictedRemove”
but its still restricted and needs you to sign in to see it.
there’s an app called “newpipe” from the fdroid repository that does away with all of youtube bullshit. only works on Android though. otherwise try invidio.us or piped.kavin.rocks in your browser, then just paste the video link in search bar.
Meanwhile 3 brave Mexican-American cops bravely shot a Mexican-American women to death because she had a hammer. In Texass. All 3 charged with murder🙄
There will always be those one-off’s where either some over-react or are just plain bad cops. The vast majority are good, IMO. It’s a tough job and know I could not do it. The first child rapist in the back of my cruiser would never make it to the station.
Speaking of body armor I wonder what happened to rider/shooter?
Some folks just disappear after awhile…
Some years back there was talk here in CA about banning body armor for the muggles. I don’t know what came of that.
I haven’t worn a helmet or flak jacket for 50 years. I don’t think I’ll take up the hobby again.
“Some years back there was talk here in CA about banning body armor for the muggles. I don’t know what came of that.”
Well, if someone wants to, they should be able to buy it and wear it if they want.
I hope lawsuits challenging that crap get launched and won under the ‘Bruen’ standard…
Safe, Florida is a swamp. It’s rained here every day for a week. The sun has only come out long enough to turn things into a steam bath. I’ve stood on I-10 in that shit wearing Kevlar so many times that I forget.. It’s miserable. Funny thing is, when it’s cold, Kevlar didn’t seem to do that much to keep me warm. Yes. It can get cold in North Florida. I can remember us closing I-10 almost as often.fot ice as for tropical systems. Check out the “Storm of the Century”. That’s what we called it. March of 92 if recall. Suprised everybody. I was on duty that night. Killed more than a few people at the coast. Taylor County, Keaton Beach, Steinhatchee area mostly. Storm caught many in their beds. Natural Florida will kill you. Stay away. Don’t come here. Unless you’re our kind. Don’t believe me? Read “A Land Remembered”.
“Funny thing is, when it’s cold, Kevlar didn’t seem to do that much to keep me warm.”
Damp with sweat, *nothing* will keep you warm.
Hot and sweaty here in Florida sucks, but cold and wet is fucking misery… 🙁
Geoff, I’ll take the cold every day over the heat. AC never gets above 65. If the electricity is on. Lost it for 12 hours the other night. Sleep with the windows open in the 40s. Wool will keep you warm when it’s wet. If you do not have blankets, wool, OD, two ea. You, sir, are backing up.
Cold and dry I can handle all day long, but to be forced to live in the cold and wet like the guys in the foxholes in Bastogne, Belgium in the winter of 1944-1945 were *suffering*… 🙁
Gadsden if I move to Florida you will likely find my house flying a flag from your screen name. With that said duty vests tend to have better air circulation than IBA and IOTV so for the mil side of them they do partly keep you warm but it was always fun seeing you southern boys encounter winter the first time just as you have fun watching us experience 90° heat with 100% humidity…….that we got both at Ft Leonard wood in the same training cycle just made things fun. What do you tend to use for rust prevention though? We have been getting humidity up here I haven’t seen since the last time I was in the Carolinas.
This is why I always keep an IFAK and trauma kit within arm’s reach or on me. Whether myself or someone else, the immediate care makes a massive difference.
That being said, all of this lawlessness can be directly and solely laid at the feet of the CommieCrat Party (CCP-USA). They undermine lawmen doing their duty, even correctly, and let criminals go within a couple hours of arrest if not sooner. Soros bought-and-paid-for DA’s drop charges and when that’s not possible, they just issue an appearance ticket, achieving the same result.
None of this is sustainable; at some point something’s got to give. If we can’t have law & order, and these communists keep weaponizing government against the good people of America, it’s either going to be WROL Mad Max style or a combination civil war / 2nd American Revolution! Expect more of the same, short-term!
I do have a couple levelIII vests if I am going to places like New Orleans. And I have a couple LevelIV plate carriers if needs be. Being down here in lower Alabama, it’s been humid and just plain hot the last couple weeks. And will be for the next 3 to 4 months.
So, while I’m usually armed, I don’t wear armor unless there is a substantial risk.
The gents discussing heat versus cold, I’ll deal with the heat. Spent years in Jungles, kitchens, blacksmith forges, and various military installations throughout the South. Grew up and used to live in the Great White North. Cold hurts my joints and aggravates old injuries.
Supposed to have a space reserved in FT. Snelling cemetery. I’ll pay for a place down here. I would prefer to have my final resting place not be covered by a snowdrift.
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