Sheriff's office's new armored vehicle unveiled on Thursday - Wilkes Journal Patriot
Chris Berman, president of Granite Tactical Vehicles, was present Thursday and said the dashboard, foot petals and other aspects of actually driving the fully automatic vehicle weren’t changed. He said it’s the fourth such vehicle the company has sold to law enforcement agencies in the U. S. Most of the others are used by companies that provide personal security in the Middle East and elsewhere. Shew said enforcement agencies in other area counties can call the Wilkes Sheriff's Office to have the armored vehicle brought to emergency situations in their counties if needed. When commissioners approved the funding, reference was made to a June 22 incident in the Bethel community of eastern Wilkes in which a Wilkes deputy and another man were shot with a high-powered rifle and a third man was shot with a flare gun. During a standoff with the suspect in the shootings that same day, the sheriff's office was unable to use its military surplus tracked armored vehicle due to mechanical problems. Shew said he also wanted to replace the tracked vehicle because it had to be hauled on a tractor-trailer and because officers needed specialized training to operate the vehicle. The Rock armored vehicle is driven like a Ford F-550 pickup and can be operated on public roads. Source: www.journalpatriot.com
