Ask A Cop

Q: Is there any such thing as a bullet proof vest?

A: Yes, no and sort of. Ballistic Vests are broken down into four types or ‘Threat Levels.’ The lower the Threat Level the lower caliber of bullet it will stop. Conversely the higher the Threat Level the greater the stopping ability.

Type I
(Will stop .22 LR; .380 ACP) Outdated and no longer used

Type IIA
(Will Stop 9 mm; .40 S&W, plus Type I) Outdated and rarely seen

Type II
(9 mm; .357 Magnum, plus Type I and IIA) Outdated, but still seen

Type IIIA
(.357 Sig; .44 Magnum, plus Type I, IIA and II) Still in use

Type III
(Low caliber rifles, plus Types I, IIA, II, and IIIA)

Type IV
(Armor piercing rifles, plus Types I, IIA, II, IIIA, and III)

The problem is that the higher the Threat Level the heavier the vest gets. When metal or ceramic plates are used with a Type III or IV vest, the weight becomes almost too much to bear – running any distance at all is very difficult. Also, there are so many various types of bullets (internationally speaking), it is inaccurate to refer to any vest as "bulletproof" because this implies that it will protect against any and all threat levels. Instead, the military and law enforcement use the term bullet resistant.

Most patrol officers are currently wearing Type III or IIIA vest on the inside of their uniform shirts. These vests are made from many layers of woven or laminated fibers known as Kevlar. These vest also have a small ‘Shok' or Strike plate that covers the heart. There is a relatively new style of Type III or IIIA vest that is worn on the outside of the uniform and resembles a hunting vest with lots of pockets. This is a great invention since our duty belts cannot hold anymore equipment.

Q: So how does a vest work?
A: Vests are designed to catch a bullet in the woven fibers. When the bullet is suddenly caught, it mushrooms (or flattens out) into a dished plate. The vest absorbs and displaces some of the energy bringing the bullet to a stop before it penetrates any further.

Q: What happens to the officer when a bullet hit his/her vest?
A: While a vest can prevent bullet penetration, the officer will still absorb most of the bullet's energy. Even without penetration, all bullets contain enough energy to cause blunt force trauma at the point of impact. In other words, it’s gonna hurt like crazy and almost always guarantees a stay in the hospital. But it beats the other option, right?

Q: How many times can a vest be hit by bullets and still work?

A: That really depends on the caliber of bullet, the number of hits and the location of the hits. For instance, if an officer is hit several times by a 9mm bullet in a disbursed pattern (or several inches apart) he/she will live to fight another day; but only after a long recovery (physically and psychologically).

If the same officer is hit by numerous 9mm bullets in a condensed pattern (known as a tight group) the officer is in very serious trouble. Why? Because each bullet that strikes a small area on the vest weakens the vest. With enough hits, the vest will fail and a bullet will penetrate. If the bullets hit the Shok or Strike plate the officer stands a better chance; however, with enough hits even those will eventually fail.

Q: Can an officer really keep fighting after being hit in the vest with a bullet?

A: Sure! It’s called an adrenalin rush and it is a part of the ‘fight or flight’ syndrome. In the middle of a gun fight many officers have stated that they didn’t know they had been shot. They kept fighting until the bad guy surrendered or was killed. Of course thirty seconds after the situation has ended, the wounded officer starts experiencing excruciating pain and, will most likely, fall to his/her knees and barf their guts up. Remember, this is like getting hit with a baseball bat.