Rep. Mike Honda said he introduced the bill, H.R. 5344, the Responsible Body Armor Possession Act of 2014, in Congress last week.
Rep. Mike Honda, D-San Jose, has announced legislation that would block civilians from accessing military-grade body armor to prevent criminals from using them in gun battles with law enforcement.
Honda, speaking at a news conference in San Jose Wednesday morning with police chiefs and the district attorneys and sheriffs from Santa Clara and Alameda counties, said his proposal would discourage criminals from wearing enhanced body armor to commit mass shootings.
"This bill will keep military body armor out of the wrong hands," Honda said. "It would ensure that only law enforcement, firefighters and other first responders would be able to access enhanced body armor."
"We're not talking about just a standard bullet-proof vest," he said. "We're talking about body armor that is designed for warfare, designed to protect against law enforcement ammunitions."
Honda said shootings by armored assailants are becoming a trend in recent years and said that according to experts, "access to military-grade body armor emboldens criminals and mass shooters to act."
"There's nothing more dangerous than an unstoppable, well-armored shooter," he said. "The law enforcement community sees an increase in use of body armor in violent, gun-related crimes."
The congressman cited a shooting on July 22 in Riverside County, where a man wearing body armor and armed with an assault rifle shot and killed two sheriff's deputies and wounded another.
"We should be asking ourselves, why is this armor available to just anyone, if it was designed to be used only by our soldiers to take to war?" Honda said.
The proposed law would prohibit the sale, transfer or possession of military-level body armor by civilians.
Honda said it has been endorsed by law enforcement organizations including the California State Sheriffs' Association, the Fraternal Order of Police and the Peace Officers Research Association of California, according to Honda.
Santa Clara County's District Attorney Jeff Rosen and Sheriff Laurie Smith and Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley and Sheriff Gregory Ahern also attended today's news conference, held at the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office in San Jose.
Santa Clara police Chief Michael Sellers and Milpitas police Chief Steve Pangelinan also attended the news conference.
DTOM: Ok this news is a couple of weeks old now, but I am shocked and surprised at how little attention it is receiving.
Given that Mil surplus soft kevlar body armor enhancement components online are drying up - esp. on Fleabay - this is not good.
Bluntly the PTB know that body armor affords the ordinary man and woman with equal opportunity protection when it comes to resisting tyranny and criminality in all forms.
Ever wonder why the PTB made large purchases for millions of .40 hollow point rounds?
They are intended for use on unarmored 'soft' targets.
Surprise, surprise, the police welcome it -
“There is no reason this type of armor, which is designed for warfare, should be available in our communities except for those who need it, like law enforcement,” Congressman Honda said.
So Congressman, are 'law enforcement' planning on conducting 'warfare' against the American people?
Question: 'If civilians (as they are so fond of calling the American people today) can't sell, buy, transfer or possess military type body armour, WHY should the politicians, police, state and federal agencies be exempt from this law?'
Somehow the PTB are always exempt for the 'collectivist' blame or guilt they seek to designate / impose on the American people.
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Streamed live on Aug 12, 2014
H.R.5344 aims to ban law abiding citizens from owning Body Armor! What can you do? Call, email, and write your local representative, and SHARE this with everyone!
I hope it serves as nothing more than a polite reminder to those so-called representatives and tyrants that the people have had enough.
If you allow this to blanket ban to pass, you can bet that your guns and ammunition (and whatever else they decide - respirators, gasmasks, protective clothing, 'hoarded' supplies) are next.
Nikki, it would be better that we didn't let it get to that stage...plate armor is already expensive as it is. The American people need to fight this tooth and nail. Make it apparent and demand and loudly ask the question 'what kind of psychopaths wants to prevent ordinary folks from owning items that PROTECT people from gun violence?' - we need to TURN IT AGAINST THE PTB.
First off, no soft armor is designed to stop spitzer / spire point/ rifle ammunition - the higest grade of soft armor - Level IIIA is designed to stop handgun ammunition only.
I could be pedantic and ask what NIJ threat level was this vest rated at - I'm guessing IIA?
DTOM edit - N.B - OP states in the comments that the vest is a 'Point Blank level IIB.' IMHO nobody should be wearing anything but IIIA soft armor.
How old was the vest? It's age and quality of manufacture - how many layers of kevlar, para-aramid or other ballistic material come into play when making a serious and scientific analysis of a ballistic vest.
The next grade of protection is the addition of Level III to IV armor plates in ceramic (older silica carbide and the lastest in boron carbide), steel/titanium and UHMWPE polyethelene.
Soft armor back up by rifle plates is heavy, restricts movement, and sure doesn't make you bullet proof or immune to well placed shots. Like everything, it is a tool with certain applications, but when used in the correct manner, it can save lives.
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