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Electric Monk

(13,869 posts)
Thu May 15, 2014, 04:16 PM May 2014

Man wearing bullet-proof vest asked his friend to shoot him. Guess what happened next?

Here is one of those stories that should come with a warning: Do not try this at home.

Blake Wardell and about eight to 10 friends were hanging out at his South Carolina home when they decided to try on a bulletproof vest and have someone shoot them -- with live bullets.

Wardell, 26, donned the vest but the shooter, a woman, missed the Kevlar, hitting him in the chest, according to authorities cited in published reports.

Wardell, bled to death after being shot in the chest. His death has been ruled a homicide. And the shooter, 18-year-old Taylor Ann Kelly, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting. She could face up to five years in prison.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/05/man_26_dies_testing_bullet-pro.html


GD thread on this http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024959180
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Man wearing bullet-proof vest asked his friend to shoot him. Guess what happened next? (Original Post) Electric Monk May 2014 OP
SC state motto...."Hey Y'all watch this..." VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #1
Pretty fucking sad for all involved. Scuba May 2014 #2
Guns aren't toys. Ed Suspicious May 2014 #3
More responsible gun owners... CanonRay May 2014 #4
Wow fredamae May 2014 #5
didn't Junior from Reno 911 do that in an episode? frylock May 2014 #6
too bad Kalidurga May 2014 #7
If she had hit the Kevlar defacto7 May 2014 #8
anyone second my motion for a darwin award? jimmy the one May 2014 #9
Seems that there is more to the story billh58 May 2014 #10

fredamae

(4,458 posts)
5. Wow
Thu May 15, 2014, 05:21 PM
May 2014

I am sorry for these folks. I'm guessing this was a horrible unforeseen (to them) accident but this is one of the dumbest ones yet...
If we can't get gun safety regs passed then can we at least mandate gun safety classes before issuing permits and weapons?

Kalidurga

(14,177 posts)
7. too bad
Fri May 16, 2014, 12:02 AM
May 2014

if he had been an unarmed non-bullet proof vest wearing teen walking while black she would be in the clear.

defacto7

(13,559 posts)
8. If she had hit the Kevlar
Fri May 16, 2014, 01:56 AM
May 2014

it still could have killed him. The injuries can be pretty nasty and life threatening depending on the weapon. Broken bones, concussions, internal bleeding and organ injury... this was sheer stupid in action.

jimmy the one

(2,717 posts)
9. anyone second my motion for a darwin award?
Sat May 17, 2014, 11:43 AM
May 2014

defacto: If she had hit the Kevlar it still could have killed him. The injuries can be pretty nasty and life threatening depending on the weapon. Broken bones, concussions, internal bleeding and organ injury... this was sheer stupid in action.

True; but, presuming he had it on fairly properly, how could she have missed the bpv & still hit him in the chest? I have one, am wearing it right now at the library in fact, & it covers from the sternum down to the navel, does the chest comprise any area outside of this? perhaps they mean the esophagus adams app or lower neck is all I can think of.
Could hit a glancing blow to the outer ribs I suppose, but doesn't seem like that would be fatal, just, er, painful. Cracked ribs, ow.

I nominate the victim for a posthumous Darwin award.

Notes: 4 levels of bullet vests (iirc), II (lowest), IIA, III, IV (only one which will stop some ~2800 fps rifle bullets). There's a 'rifle plate' about 5" x 7", hard ceramic plate or something like that, which fits in a pocket over the heart, will stop rifle bullets - much better than a bible in your shirt pocket.
2 BPV's deteriorate in heat, like a hot car, or rather the Kevlar does. Kevlar will deteriorate after 10 years or so, mine is like 20 yrs police surplus, got it for ~$150 ten years back maybe. It'll still work pretty well tho. Don't work very well against daggers, just blunt the thrust.
3 Been arguing with gunnutted crowd for over a decade & only met two gun owners who had bullet vests & one didn't wear it any more. For all their worry & angst about being surprised by hell bent thugs & shot, they tend not to wear the simplest & best deterrent to getting fatally shot, no, no, they think all they need is their gun - shows how disingenuous their argument is, they mainly want it to feel big.

billh58

(6,641 posts)
10. Seems that there is more to the story
Sat May 17, 2014, 11:49 AM
May 2014
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/womans-story-fatal-s-c-shooting-was-lie-deputies-n107846

A South Carolina woman lied to investigators about the death of a friend who she said asked her to shoot him to test his bulletproof vest, sheriff's deputies said Friday.


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