Adams County Sheriff's Office receives body armor donation from SHIELD 616
Adams County Sheriff's deputies now have another layer of protection while protecting and serving, thanks to a Colorado nonprofit and a $50,000 donation from Mountain States Toyota.
It's not rare for Adams County Sheriff's deputies to encounter danger on the job, most recently just two rotations ago.
"One of our deputies went to pull over a car. The driver of the vehicle started shooting at the deputies," said Adams County Senior Deputy Sheriff Ernesto Lemus.
The deputies were not hit, but a pursuit ensued.
"It's hard to see your friends go through those types of situations. You're trying to get there as soon as possible and you just want to be ready when you get there," said Lemus.
Now deputies will be safer on the next call, thanks to body armor from SHIELD 616.
"Most agencies issue what's called a soft vest. They wear 'em their whole shift and they're designed to only stop handgun calibers and so we want to make sure that they have this elevated protection against rifle threats," said Jake Skifstad, SHIELD 616 Founder.
The Colorado Springs-based nonprofit provides law enforcement agencies with an extra layer of protection.
"I didn't have one of these ones we just have the inner ones we wear," said Lemus.
The armor features two rifle plates that are inserted into a protective vest.
"It's cut here, angled for your shooting stance so you can extend your arms out, and then this is for the back," said Lemus, as he inspected the plates.
The nonprofit also partners deputies with a community member, hoping law enforcement will feel supported and protected on the job.
"This is gonna not only keep us safe but save people's lives as well, so we really appreciate it," said Lemus.
SHIELD 616 has provided over 6,000 law-enforcement officers with this body armor since 2015 and they hope to keep expanding to more departments.
