Hawaii County, HI – The BearCat is built by Lenco Industries Inc. of Pittsfield, Mass., on a modified Ford truck chassis, Kawamoto said.
The four-wheel-drive, diesel engine vehicle carries the driver, a front seat passenger and eight people in the back. It features a hatch in the roof, in which the bulletproof lid serves as a shield. It also has radiation and methane gas detectors on board.
Kawamoto said the vehicle is used mostly in executing high-risk search warrants…
“When you’re driving up to a house where there are shots fired, do you feel safe in a panel van? I don’t,” he said.