We hope our newest—and most expensive—vehicle spends most of its time parked in a garage. Its beauty does not come from sleek lines, good looks, or a flashy paint color. We won’t measure its value by the miles on its odometer, its speed, or its fuel efficiency. We only care that it is ready and available when the rare emergencies arise that ordinary patrol vehicles simply can’t handle. If this vehicle becomes the busiest in our fleet, something has gone terribly wrong.
A Bearcat is an armored rescue vehicle, designed for law enforcement and public safety use. It is specialized protective equipment, much like turnout gear for firefighters. It helps first responders get into and back out of the relatively uncommon situations when lives are at stake, protecting both those in peril and those working to rescue them.
Other nearby agencies have used Bearcats to provide ballistic protection while transporting officers closer to an active shooter. We all shudder to imagine an armed suspect in one of our schools. If we face that situation, we will need more than a patrol car to drive across the playground or parking lot while he or she fires at us. These vehicles are also useful in hostage situations, during the service of high-risk warrants, when recovering a wounded deputy from an active crime scene, or rescuing civilians from dangerous places such as amid an unruly crowd or from under a crumbling bridge.
We borrowed a Bearcat from Alamance County in March 2025, after a person fired a weapon during a domestic dispute at an apartment complex. We were fortunate the vehicle was available—and that no one was injured during the hour it took to reach us after we requested it. In the meantime, several residents had no safe way to leave a nearby building. When the Bearcat arrived, deputies used the vehicle as a moving armored shield, positioning it to create a protected route to safety away from the shooter. Once no one else was in danger, the Bearcat provided secure cover for deputies to drive right up to the door of the apartment, breach it with a front-mounted hydraulic tool, and then search the residence with an interior drone.
Built on a heavy-duty commercial truck chassis and protected by certified ballistic steel, a Bearcat, short for Ballistic Engineered Armored Response Counter Attack Truck, can transport a dozen deputies and their specialized equipment during situations where ordinary vehicles could not operate safely. Its design enables it to travel over rough terrain, through floodwaters, or into areas threatened by gunfire or structural hazards.
A Bearcat belongs in the same category as an ambulance or fire engine—it is specialized, life-saving equipment designed for situations no one wants to face. Not surprisingly, such vehicles are expensive. In fact, at $334,505, this rescue vehicle is one of the largest single equipment purchases our office has ever made. We paid for it with funds from the federal equitable sharing program, not Orange County tax dollars.
When we investigate cases of criminal enterprise alongside agents from the federal government, such as the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or the U.S. Marshals Service, we receive a portion of any assets seized. Common examples include cash, vehicles, and firearms. The Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Fund and the Treasury Department establish strict rules governing how these funds may be spent. Those rules require that we use them for training or equipment that enhances public safety or improves law enforcement capabilities beyond what our regular budget can provide. The Bearcat is such an acquisition.
We were on hand in Caswell County when deputies there used a Bearcat to approach an active shooter. The vehicle gave deputies a position of protection and changed the dynamics of the encounter. Despite the heavy gunfire, including multiple rounds that struck the vehicle, all deputies inside it emerged without injury. The gunman, who surrendered, was also unharmed. No one asked how many miles the Bearcat had on the odometer. They didn’t ask what it cost or complain about how it looked.
I hope our Bearcat collects dust in a garage rather than miles on the road. But if the day comes when deputies drive into gunfire to rescue a wounded officer, evacuate trapped civilians, or shield children from danger, no one will be measuring its value by the purchase price. The only thing that will matter is that we did our job, brought people home safely, and lived to tell about it.
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