A highly unprofessional test involving the effectiveness of a bullet proof vest recently went horribly wrong. In the end, a man was dead and a female was placed in handcuffs.
"Deputies say that a young man put on a bulletproof vest and told a friend to shoot him. The shot went too high and now that man is dead." [WYFF]
The victim, 26-year-old Blake Wardell was shot and killed by his own friend, 18-year-old Taylor Ann Kelly. Wardell and Kelly had been part of a group of friends that were hanging out at a residence in Honea Path, South Carolina.
At one point, the approximately 8 friends decided to try on a bulletproof vest. The group thought it would be a good idea to put on the vest and have one of their companions shoot at it to see how effective it was at stopping bullets.
Wardell wore the vest and Kelly fired a shot, but she missed the Kevlar. The projectile struck him right in the chest.
According to Deputy coroner Don McCown, the victim bled to death. He also said there was no evidence of drug use or heavy drinking at the scene.
Although the investigation is ongoing, Kelly has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and she’s being held at Anderson County Detention Center on $10,000 bond.