December 2, 2000
Buddy shot twice during vest testBulletproof gear really works!
A couple of 20-year-old Swan River men, curious if a newly acquired bulletproof vest was all it was cracked up to be, gathered up some guns, some ammo and a video camera and decided to put it to the test. "It begs the question, what were they thinking?" RCMP spokesman Sgt. Steve Saunders said yesterday. "It's beyond logical reason, in my way of thinking." .22-CALIBRE RIFLE SHOT Last month, one of the men bought a military-style bulletproof vest from a shop in Edmonton and took it home to use as protective gear while riding his motorcycle. But as the man checked out his purchase, he decided it might be a good idea to examine its strength -- so he put on the vest and asked one of his friends to shoot him in the chest with a .22-calibre rifle. A third buddy grabbed a video camera, popped in a tape, and police say the man wearing the vest looked into the lens and absolved the shooter of any responsibility if the equipment should fail and he should die. The gun was then fired -- and the man survived, uninjured from the bullet. Apparently still not satisfied with the experiment, the man then requested that his friend try shooting him in the back with a larger, more powerful weapon, like a 12-gauge shotgun. Just in case, the man shoved a rural telephone book under the vest. His friend happily obliged, and the man survived yet another blast. This time, though, the man suffered cracked ribs and bruising. As well, the thin telephone book was damaged. RCMP spokesman Sgt. Steve Saunders said neither of the two men directly involved in the stunt was charged with any criminal offences but both were required to take part in a Swan River community forum. The pair will also attend a firearm prohibition hearing in January to determine whether they should be allowed to handle guns. "We will be asking that they be banned or prohibited from having weapons," said Saunders. "What they were flirting with is extreme danger. It's nothing short of a miracle that they survived." Next Story: Threats net arrest
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