‘When things get bad, we have nobody else to call’: Iredell sheriff explains purchase of ‘The Rook’
A bullet-resistant skid steer designed to help law enforcement approach a dangerous suspect
IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office has a new tool to aid deputies in the most dangerous of situations.
The agency recently purchased The Rook, a bullet-resistant skid steer designed to help law enforcement approach a dangerous suspect.
The vehicle is more than seven feet tall and weighs more than 14 thousand pounds, according to Ring Power Corporation, the company that manufactures The Rook.
Attached to the front of the vehicle is a large platform with a shield that allows The Rook to lift law enforcement officers to a second story of a building or home.
Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell spoke to WBTV about the vehicle in a recent interview.
“Basically, it’s a platform for our tactical team in case of active shooters’ second level or elevated positions to where we actually have the capability to block that shooter or do an entry,” said Campbell.
He said his deputies can use it for protection if they’re under fire and the vehicle can be used to lift several people into the air to enter a building or home on a second floor.
Campbell said recent situations where his deputies were endangered led to him purchasing The Rook.
“Earlier this year we had two different calls where over 350 rounds were fired at our officers,” the sheriff explained.
Campbell said that on April 20 a man fired more than 300 rounds at his deputies during a standoff. The incident happened on Langtree Road in the middle of a quiet, residential neighborhood in Mooresville.
Campbell said the suspected shooter, 27-year-old Dylan Maslon, shot one of his deputies before Maslon took his own life.
Just days later, four law enforcement officers were killed in a shootout in east Charlotte. What started with a taskforce attempting to serve a warrant turned into chaos.
Investigators said the suspected shooter, Terry Hughes Jr., was firing shots from the second level of the home. Hughes eventually died in the shootout, but not before several officers were hurt and killed.
Campbell explained that he feels The Rook would be a huge benefit to law enforcement when confronting an active shooter.
“We can actually do an entry from a second level window. We can block his shooting lanes from a secondary level. Yes, he can move around and change, but if we do have to come out, we have still have the capability to enter on that floor,” elaborated Campbell.
WBTV asked the sheriff about critics who may think The Rook is evidence of police militarization.
“Last year was one of the most deadly years for law enforcement. I can attest to it here,” said Campbell. “Over 350 rounds fired from ARs and assault style weapons at us. You had the Charlotte officers. Four was killed. We’re not militarizing. We’re just trying to keep our citizens and us safe.”
The sheriff explained that The Rook will only be used when it is necessary. He said his hope is that the vehicle will never be needed.
“When things get bad, we have nobody else to call. We are the end of the line. We’ve got to be able to handle every situation no matter what that is and I’ve got to give my officers a surviving chance and I’ve got to give our communities a surviving chance,” said Campbell.
He said The Rook cost more than $600,000 and was ordered in May. Campbell said the Iredell County commissioners supported his funding request.
The sheriff said his agency has now had The Rook for a few weeks and five different deputies can operate the vehicle.
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