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Body armor an everyday part of cops’ lives


Police describe body armor as the one piece of equipment worn by a police officer that can mean the difference between life and death.To get more news about green bulletproof vest, you can visit bulletproofboxs.com official website.

The vests typically worn by officers across the state, outside or underneath a uniform, are most likely made of fibers such as Kevlar, which can disperse the energy from some bullets, but not all. While ballistic vests come in a variety of different styles and levels of protection, officers agree the term “bulletproof vest,” is a misnomer.

But law enforcement officials say it’s still an essential piece of protection that makes officers less vulnerable. Statistics from the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted database indicates that of the officers who were shot by a firearm in the torso - the area covered by a vest - those who wear body armor were 76% less likely to be killed than those who did not wear armor. The International Association of Police Dupont/ Kevlar Survivors Club, which regularly recognizes officers saved from death or serious injury by use of a ballistic vest, has honored more than 3,100 officers since 1978.

“It’s definitely something that has become for the most part universal. Officers today have entered the profession and from day one have gotten used to wearing body armor,” East Lyme Police Chief Michael Finkelstein said.

Like most area departments, East Lyme officers are mandated to wear the body armor, either the under the uniform variety or external carriers, a vest worn outside of the uniform that also has pouches and attachments for carrying gear.

“Officers for the most part are wearing body armor all of the time. I’ve worn one for 33 years. It’s part of my uniform,” Finkenstein said.

Officers who spoke for this report declined to speculate on the type of body armor worn by the two Bristol police officers killed in an Oct. 12 shooting, but agreed that the type of armor they were wearing was likely not a factor in their deaths.

State police, who are investigating the incident, have not yet released details such as what type of gun was used but said the officers were attacked from behind in what police suspect was an ambush. Sgt. Dustin DeMonte and Officer Alex Hamzy were killed. Officer Alec Iurato was shot in the leg and survived.A report from the Office of Inspector General revealed that officers responding to the Oct. 12, 2022 call at 310 Redstone Hill Road in Bristol were shot at by Nicholas Brutcher, who fired more than 80 rounds.

Nationwide, 49 officers were intentionally killed in the first 10 months of 2022, according to statistics compiled by the FBI. It represents a 9.3% decrease compared to the 54 officers killed during the same time period last year. Firearms were used in 83.7% of officer deaths this year. Those shooting deaths included unprovoked attacks, ambushes, enforcement activities and responses to calls of a disturbance or domestic incident. The number of ambush attacks, as is suspected in the Bristol case, doubled from 5 to 10 in 2022, FBI statistics show.