We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Badges
By Wyatt Earp | February 15, 2010
Well, I can assure you that at least one officer in the North Las Vegas Police Department needs them. In fact, at least one officer is probably cuddling with his right about now after spending a quiet Valentine’s Day together. In fact, if I were this officer, I would be writing poems and sending love letters to my badge.
Especially since it probably saved his life.
LAS VEGAS — A police officer’s badge may have saved his life when it stopped a bullet during an exchange of gunfire in North Las Vegas.
Police say the 31-year-old officer was patrolling just before 10 p.m. Saturday when he heard shots being fired in an apartment complex.
While investigating, the officer came upon a person with a gun and opened fire. The officer returned fire and was hit. But the bullet hit the badge, and the officer suffered only minor injuries.
Damn, are their badges made out of Kevlar? Mine bends like Silly Putty.
Topics: The Job | 13 Comments »
February 15th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Time for him to hit the tables. The badge was probably in front of a bullet resistant vest so that probably helped. What I got out of the story was that we have more lenient rules of engagement in Las Vegas than we do in Afghanistan. There you cannot open fire just because someone is running with a gun. You have to wait until they shoot at you first.
February 15th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Ingineer, I think that was just a case of poorly-worded-article-itis. Note the sentance “The officer returned fire and was hit.” So it sounds to me like the perp shot first.
The badge really stopped the bullet. ‘Twas probably a .25 then.
February 15th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
According to Mythbusters, some of the nickel backed badges will actually stop/catch direct bullet hits in some calibers. I don’t recall which calibers were tested in the episode but it was either .38, .45, or 9 mil.
http://mythbustersresults.com/episode-112-coffin-punch
February 15th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
Wow he was lucky. Thank God the officer is ok.
February 15th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
See, I thought I was being the critical English teacher while I was reading that poorly written article.
The officer is one lucky guy.
February 15th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
That sack of sh*t that fired on the officer is, ironically, lucky the officer didn’t get killed, because he’d be looking at the death penalty if he did (Nevada don’t mess around). Instead, he’ll get attempted murder, which given the facts of the case will probably end up being 25 years, right Wyatt?
God bless the officer and his family.
February 15th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Fry his worthless ass!
February 15th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
He made it home that night and thats all that really matters. Thank God. Wonder if he’ll let me borrow his Guardian Angel?
February 15th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
The officer (who is one of the luckiest men alive) is not a member of the Las Vegas Metro Police Department. North Las Vegas is a separate entity (city) which is directly north of the City of Las Vegas. Their badge is a shield not a star. If it was me I’d be making novenas until I retired and then some.
God Bless All American Police Officers…….
God Save the Republic……..
February 15th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
Alright, I love hearing stories like this!
The perp should consider himself lucky, instead of cooling his heels in jail, he could have been cool and on a slab.
February 16th, 2010 at 1:22 am
I remember hearing a similar story about a state trooper in Arizona who was diarmed by an assailant and ordered him into the cruiser at gunpoint. When the guy tried getting into the passenger side, he found that it was locked, which bought just enough time for the trooper to un-rack the shotgun. Both of them pulled the trigger at the same time- the trooper’s Smokey-the-bear hat went flying and the assailant was killed instantly. The bullet from the assailant struck dead square on the badge affixed to the state trooper’s hat, and as proof the camera crew interviewing the trooper provided a close-up of the deformed bullet, which had the mirror image of the Arizona state seal on it….
February 16th, 2010 at 8:14 am
Ingineer66 – Yeah, if we shot him here in Philly before he pointed it at us, our commissioner would have us fired.
Raptor – Or maybe a .22?
Loki42 – Man, I simply love that show.
Rick – Yeah, lucky is the term I would use here.
RT – Did you break out the red pen?
TJS – Yeah, 25 years is about right, probably paroled sooner, though.
Watuschskie – I agree 100%.
Jon – He probably has two – one on each shoulder.
LDIV – Reading comprehension. My bad.
February 16th, 2010 at 8:16 am
DL474 – No doubt about it. He’s lucky he didn’t die of lead poisoning.
Fenway_Nation – Damn, that’s scary!