On June 20th, 2023, the Opp Police Department was dispatched to Hardage Circle for a male subject who had entered a home unlawfully, grabbed a knife, and barricaded himself in the bathroom. During the incident, Opp Police Department Sergeant Keith Wise attempted to talk the suspect out of the bathroom. The suspect opened the door and struck Sgt Wise’s Safariland 2035 W/L Shield with the knife. After the failed attempt to stab Sgt. Wise, the suspect again barricaded himself in the bathroom, and the Covington County Incident Response Team was called to the location. The team made several attempts to talk to the suspect and get him to surrender. When the suspect did exit the bathroom, he again charged at the officers with a knife. Covington County Incident Response Team leader Nic Ireland used the same Safariland 2035 W/L Shield that Sgt. Wise had deployed earlier, and it protected Team Leader Ireland from harm. The assailant was able to move and stab another officer in the head before being fatally wounded in the incident. All officers were either protected by the shield or have fully recovered.
We welcome Covington County Incident Response Team Leader Nic Ireland as SAVE #2191 to the Safariland Group SAVES Club.
