New armored vehicle provides cover for Haywood's deputies
May 14—A new piece of equipment at the Haywood County Sheriff's Office helps protect deputies during intense situations.
The Bearcat is an armored vehicle that the sheriff's office can deploy during a standoff.
"It's a big safety net," Capt. David Greathouse said. "We used to do it like a bunch of cowboys and jump in the back of a pickup truck or in a tin van and just drive up and jump out and hope for the best. With this, we can take a calculated risk, sit, give commands and give the opportunity for somebody to surrender."
Greathouse said the vehicle is an ideal tool for de-escalation, despite its intimidating appearance.
"We're in a bullet-resistant box for whatever," he said. "Everyone looks at it as a crazy tank, but it truly allows us to make an attempt to de-escalate by being there, talking over the PA, being present, but at the same time still being safe. People look at it as this aggressive thing, but its true essence is de-escalation."
The sheriff's office was given the go-ahead to purchase the vehicle back in May 2022 at the price of $179,725. Of that money, just under $80,000 came from drug forfeiture money, $84,000 came from grant funding from the NC Department of Public Safety, $5,000 came from donations and $11,000 from the sheriff's office's budget in 2022.
Lenco, the company behind the Bearcat, takes an old Department of Energy truck and refurbishes it into the armored vehicle it becomes. This one spent most of its original life running patrols at a nuclear facility in Maryland.
The vehicle got a total remodel to turn into what it is today.
"They strip it completely down. New engine, new everything but the drive train, new tires, new wheels, new paint," Greathouse said.
That new engine is even newer. The sheriff's office received the Bearcat about a year ago and had some troubles out of the box.
"We had some mechanical difficulties," Greathouse said. "The remanufactured engine blew up when we got it. It was all completely under warranty, so we basically had a new engine built and put it in."
Since getting into operation, the Bearcat has been deployed once, to a standoff with a fugitive wanted out of Tennessee.
During that standoff, tear gas was deployed.
"We deploy gas manually as an agency," Greathouse said. "We still get up in the turret and we'll shoot something through the window to break the window and then deploy the gas through the broken window."
But the Bearcat offers another option, as well. The front arm can punch a hole in the side of a house and launch gas in that way.
"Ultimately, you're fully shielded at that point," Greathouse said.
The vehicle can also be used for rescue missions. The front arm has a push plate that can move vehicles out of the way if needed. The heavy frame and off-road capabilities also make it a candidate for rescues in flooded areas.
"It won't float," Greathouse said.
The vehicle can also comfortably cruise at highway speeds. No matter where it's needed, the Bearcat can be there quickly.
It has also been used for community outreach events, such as visits to Junaluska and Hazelwood Elementary.
"They got their picture made with it. They thought that was the coolest thing ever," said Gina Zachary, sheriff's office public information officer. "A lot of the kids wrote notes and they tried to draw this. It was great."
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