"I would say 'The Rook' is an absolute gamechanger in law enforcement, for the safety of our personnel and for the safety of citizens," explained Lt. Bryan Buccini. "We can use negotiations. We can use chemical munitions. We can use robots and drones. This is just another tool in our tool box."
[Ads /]
Last week, rooks from both HCSO and the Houston Police Department tore apart a house in the Humble area in order to corner and eventually uncover fugitive Terran Green. Green was wanted for allegedly shooting at four law enforcement officers. HCSO Deputy Joseph Anderson, 29, was critically wounded. Green, 34, is being held on attempted capital murder charges with no bond.
RELATED: Suspect at center of dramatic Humble standoff now faces federal charges after 2 US Marshals shot
Buccini and his team gave ABC13 an upclose look at what the equipment can do. It is a modified Caterpillar skid steer, or digger, created by Ring Power Corporation.
"This is usually reserved for when we have violent suspects inside refusing to come out peacefully," Buccini said.
When Green had nowhere else to go, he surrendered and then rode out on the vehicle's breeching ram, as seen only on ABC13.
The ram is one of four attachments available to the HCSO SWAT. There is an armored platform that can position officers safely within feet of a suspect, a grapple that can peel back walls and a vehicle extraction tool that can push, pull or pick up vehicles that are in the way.
[Ads /]
"Unfortunately, it's the necessary evil to have equipment like this. People say we shouldn't have an armored vehicle like this that has potential to cause damage. This rook doesn't shoot anybody, doesn't stab anybody, doesn't kill anybody. It's a tool to protect our officers so we can do our job," Buccini said.
Buccini has also heard the questions about and criticism of the damage that was done to the house last week. He says they follow guidelines set by the National Tactical Officers Association. Those guidelines only prioritize the preservation of life and the list includes hostages, innocent citizens, law enforcement and finally the suspect.
"What's not on the list, guys, is property," Buccini said. "That doesn't mean that property is not important, but property can be replaced. Human lives can't, so even our suspect is placed a higher priority than property."
While "The Rook" goes out on every call the SWAT team gets, Buccini estimates that it is used only about five times a year.
He said theirs was purchased with grant money and started at around $300,000.
For more on this story, follow Jessica Willey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.