ARLINGTON, Texas — Police officers in Arlington have a new toy, and for Special Weapons And Tactics guys, it's a major upgrade that could save them both time and energy.
On Tuesday, officials with the Arlington Police Department showed WFAA a new battering ram it recently added to its arsenal, one that doesn't require officers to swing for the fences to breach a locked door.
It's called the Kinetic Breaching Tool by AARDVARK. It uses a .45 caliber blank, powering a piston that shoots a steel ram out of its end after a round is fired.
Per AARDVARK's website, the KBT can carry eight blanks and delivers 850 feet per pound of force.
Sgt. Paul Long of APD's SWAT team told WFAA that the KBT allows anyone on his team to lead a breach.
It also allows officers to move faster in buildings with multiple blocked doorways if need be.
"We take a lot of factors into consideration when we respond to a scene or serve a warrant, and we'll designate someone as our lead breacher," Long said.
"Usually, with a traditional ram, we have our biggest guys doing it. This is fairly lightweight and they've designed it so anyone can breach a door."
An average battering ram weighs about 30 pounds. The traditional one that Arlington police use weighs a little more than 50 pounds.
The department says it hasn't used the KBT yet and added that their older battering ram is still tactically one of their top choices to bang down a door.
However, the KBT is easier on an officer's body and makes the team a bit more efficient.
It's likely it will see action sooner rather than later.
"Anything that I can give my guys to do their job safer and more efficient the better," Long said.
More on WFAA:
- First US case of China coronavirus confirmed in Washington State
- VERIFY: The president has no constitutional power to end impeachment trial
- 90-year-old Alaska native woman will be 1st counted in Census
- Boeing doesn't expect Max jet to be cleared until summer
- Ventura shooting suspect was set to perform at venue