ACSO fundraiser to buy rifle-ready bulletproof vests

ALAMOSA — Jake Skifstad, founder and CEO of the non-profit Shield 616, came to Alamosa on Tuesday to support the Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) in raising funds to equip each deputy with “rifle ready” Angel Armor vests capable of stopping a bullet fired from a rifle, including assault rifles.

All seats were taken in the room with members of the community who had come to the “lunch and learn,” event where they would get a better idea of ACSO’s need for rifle ready vests and where their donations would be going.

Some of the basic facts up front: Shield 616 is a registered non-profit working with law enforcement agencies around the country from major cities to small town single officer operations. The goal for ACSO is to raise $40,000, enough to equip all 16 deputies with a rifle ready vest. 

Each vest costs $2,450 and will protect an officer from a bullet fired from a rifle as close as seven yards away. Of all the funds raised, 88% go directly to the cost of the vests and 12% goes to events that educate the public about the importance of rifle ready vests in today’s world.

Skifstad, who worked for fourteen years as a police officer and member of the SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team with the Colorado Springs Police Department, shared with the audience the story that prompted him to start the non-profit.

In October of 2015, Skifstad had responded to a mass shooting where multiple victims and the shooter were killed. Skifstad, who was responsible for guarding the suspect’s body, looked at the rifle he had been carrying and asked himself, “How am I, as part of the Colorado Springs Police Department, supposed to protect my community against whatever threat comes our way when, if it involves a rifle, I have no protection?”

That prompted Skifsgard to begin to piece together his own vest, which he kept in the trunk of his car. It was a second vest that he put over the vest he was already wearing but “at least I had something I could use.”

Then, Black Friday in 2015 proved to be ‘the most terrifying day” of his life when a page came across his phone that said, “active shooter at Planned Parenthood with multiple officers down.”

On his way to the scene, at least 20 minutes into the call, he could still hear gunshots over the radio as patrol officers trying to get into the building but were being shot by the gunman who was inside the building shooting at the officers outside. “The guy was no longer focused on shooting people in the building, he was focused on killing police officers.”

The threat was so significant that, once on scene, SWAT drove an armored vehicle into the building. With no idea of where the shooter might be, officers had to begin to search the entire building on foot.

He shared his thoughts at the time, which included one of the things he enjoys about being in law enforcement is not knowing from day to day what he was going to encounter. But what he was also aware of – and what he shared with those at the event - is that, even with all the gear, the technology, the weaponry and advanced training provided to law enforcement, “I was praying, and I was terrified” because, all support materials aside, “we’re just like you.”

He said they were also trying multiple ways to get people remaining in the building to a safe place, none of which were successful. Members of the SWAT team were also very aware of what they were facing in “engaging” with the shooter, so bent on killing officers that he had brought explosives and had tried to “blow us up multiple times”.

The underlying theme in Skifstad’s riveting story was the realization that each one of those officers on scene was faced with the need to engage with an active shooter who was firing a weapon that the vests they were wearing were incapable of stopping.

The shooter at Planned Parenthood eventually surrendered but, at the end of the day, the incident lasted five hours and resulted in five officers being shot- with three sustaining highly critical wounds and a fourth officer University of Colorado —Colorado Springs officer Garrett Swasey losing his life — and four citizens, two fatally.

That incident prompted Skifstad to pursue creation of Shield 616 at a much more rapid pace as he thought of all the other law enforcement officers facing those same choices he had to face that day.

Skifstad further said that raising funds to purchase the vests, which cost $2,450 each, also sends a very valuable message to law enforcement officers. Not only are community members grateful for those keeping them safe but they are committed to keeping those law enforcement officers safe, in return.

Sheriff Jackson verified that they are encountering more powerful weaponry than they had in years past and expressed his gratitude to those who came to the event and all who would donate to the effort.

Arlan VanRy, who spearheaded the purchase of the rifle ready vests, also addressed the crowd, applauding the Alamosa Police Department for raising funds to buy the vests but, now, saying the same effort needs to be applied to the efforts of the Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office.

“People in rural areas are more likely to have rifles,” he said. “They just are. And deputies who are out there, often by themselves, may be on a driveway one or two hundred yards long. They need to know they’re protected from what may be waiting at the end of that driveway. We’re talking about saving lives here, and this vest is proven to save lives.”

There will be fundraisers held to help ACSO reach their goal and the hope is that businesses will also get behind the effort. For those who want to donate directly to ACSO’s fundraiser, checks should be made out to Shield 616, including email address, phone number and the name Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office.

Checks can be mailed to 13395 Voyager Pkwy, Suite 130 #516, Colorado Springs, CO 80921.