Cops credit MRAP for standoff's peaceful end

(Wisconsin State Journal) Not long after police used an armored vehicle acquired from the military to arrest a man authorities said fired an assault rifle at officers, Madison Police Chief Mike Koval poked his head inside a media briefing about the incident Thursday night.

"How do they like the tank now?" Koval asked.

"The tank" began its life as a mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle used by the military, but it has since been re-branded by Madison police as an Armored Rescue Vehicle.

Police departments are acquiring major battlefield equipment that emboldens officials to strong-arm those they should be protecting. "Police State USA: How Orwell's Nightmare is Becoming our Reality" (Autographed) chronicles how we got to this point.

It has been the subject of controversy for months after the department accepted it as part of a military surplus program.

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