VIDEO: Point Blank Honors KY Deputy Saved by Ballistic Vest

Last October, then-Paris, KY, police officer Abdullah Bholat came incredibly close to serious injury or even death when he was shot in the line of duty and a Point Blank vest stopped the bullet, reports WLEX.

Point Blank honored Deputy Abdullah Bholat Wednesday for his bravery and dedication in serving his community. Mike Lafferty, manufacturer's representative, presented Deputy Bholat with the Point Blank National SAVES Recognition Award. "We are proud to have had the opportunity to show our appreciation for his service and providing his life-saving body armor," said the company.

Deputy Abdullah Bholat now works for the Scott County (KY) Sheriff's Department. But he was with the Paris (KY) Police Department on the night of October 18, when officers went to a home to talk to a man about a reported burglary. They say that when they arrived on scene, 24-year-old Charles Stidham opened fire on the officers. One of the rounds struck Bholat toward the bottom of his vest, becoming lodged in it.

If he had been shot an inch lower, it may have been fatal, reports WLEX.

Deputy Bholat said that his bulletproof vest will always be a part of his uniform. "I wear it every day," he says. "I was told in the academy it's a cheap form of life insurance."

Related:

Body Armor Saves KY Officer Shot During Home Entry