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August 31, 2004
Instant Armor Tactical Blanket Offers Maximum Protection in Tactical Situations
On July 28, 2003, the Texarkana Metro SWAT Team responded to a call for assistance from a neighboring jurisdiction. Members of the unit were informed that a man, armed with a gun, had shot his ex-wife, and fatally wounded another man before barricading himself inside a residence with his 3 children and an acquaintance. During the ensuing 13-hour standoff, members of Texarkana Metro SWAT utilized a newly acquired piece of equipment, the Instant Armor Tactical Blanket. Team members were able to successfully, and safely evacuate an elderly couple that lived next door to the suspect. Metro SWAT then used the Tactical Blanket to remove one of the shooting victims from directly in front of the residence. By utilizing the Tactical Blanket as team cover, we contacted the suspect by loudspeaker, and successfully deployed a Hostage Negotiation Throw Phone.
Several hours later, by dividing the blanket into two sections, two entry teams utilized the Tactical Blanket to approach, and subsequently make forced entry into the residence. One of the entry points included a doorway adjacent to a large plate glass window. The large window was an obvious concern, and was subsequently covered by a section of the Tactical Blanket, which provided the entry team with ballistic protection during the assault. All four persons being held inside the residence were safely removed, and no officers were injured in the encounter.
During a standard debriefing that followed the encounter, the unanimous consensus of the individual team leaders and team members was that the Instant Armor Tactical Blanket was the single most versatile piece of equipment that we owned. Due to its design and ease of use, the potential for deployment by both Tactical Units, and members of the Uniform Patrol Division is limitless.
- Sincerely,
Capt. Mark Lewis
Commander, Texarkana Metro SWAT
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