At last year’s International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) show, Stop Stick showed a surprising item: a ballistic shield. The story of how a company whose name is almost synonymous with tire deflation spikes got into the ballistic shield market begins with a group of investors in Germany.

They saw a good thing in Stop Stick and wanted to access the American market for another of their acquisitions—Bonowi (pronounced Bono-vee), makers of tactical products. So, they bought the Ohio-based Stop Stick and created a new division—Stop Stick Tactical Protection—to market Bonowi products in the States. The Bonowi FlexShield is the most popular Stop Stick Tactical product.

The Bonowi FlexShield is literally an inflatable ballistic shield. It incorporates NIJ-certified Level IIIA soft armor and is designed to fit Level III hard armor rifle protection plates for responding to extremely dangerous situations like domestics and active shooters. Unlike the original German version, the American FlexShield comes with the hard plates.

Bill Erwin, director of business development for Stop Stick Tactical Protection, says the FlexShield is designed to be folding armor that will easily fit in the increasingly crowded cargo areas of patrol vehicles or in the offices of school resource officers. The folded shield can be carried in a briefcase-style case that is 24 x 15 x 5 inches. It expands to 25 x 25 inches and inflates using a CO2 canister.

Inflating the FlexShield and making it rigid is optional. Erwin says there are tactical reasons why an officer might prefer to keep the shield flexible. “When officers are working their way through a school, a theater, or an office building responding to an active shooter, keeping it flexible can make it easier for them to quickly get through doorways for room clearing,” he explains. When the shield is flexible, it’s also easier for a single officer to let it wrap around them. “Get small, stay small is the idea,” Erwin adds.

Of course, there are also tactical reasons to inflate the FlexShield. The rigid shield offers a greater area of protection, although it should be noted that inflation does not change the ballistic properties of the armor.

“We recommend that officers inflate it,” Erwin says. “That’s so the front plates—the rifle plates—overlap with no gap. The front plates overlap about two-and-a-half to three inches when its inflated.”

Inflating the FlexShield takes just two seconds, Erwin says. It stays inflated for six to 12 hours, depending on the air temperature. Colder weather reduces the inflation time. When officers want to deflate the shield, all they have to do is remove the CO2 cartridge and it quickly deflates.

The FlexShield offers protection from the chin to the groin for most officers. The protection area can be vertically extended by hooking together two shields with the provided fastening tabs.

With rifle plates installed, the FlexShield weighs 24 pounds. To make the shield easier to carry, it is fitted with ambidextrous arm loops and hand holds. In addition, it features a shoulder strap system that takes the burden off of the user’s arms.

The shoulder strap also offers another benefit, maneuverability. “It’s designed for fast action,” Erwin says. “It also allows you to sling it around your body when you’re still on scene and no longer need the shield, but still want it readily available.”

Erwin says the Bonowi FlexShield is priced competitively with other soft shields that may not offer as much protection.

The FlexShield comes with a Level IIIA soft armor threat protection, Level III (certified to stop common AR and AK rounds) rifle plates, CO2 cartridge, and carrying case.

www.stopstick.com