Fla. man shot dead by cousin after asking if bulletproof vest works
TAMPA, Fla. -- Police say a Florida man asking if a bulletproof vest “still worked” was fatally shot by his cousin.
A Tampa Police report says 23-year-old Joaquin Mendez put on the vest late Saturday and “wondered aloud whether it still worked.”
According to a witness, Mendez sat in a chair and put on the vest. His cousin, 24-year-old Alexandro Garibaldi, took out a handgun and said “Let’s see,” CBS affiliate WTSP reported.
Officers found Mendez outside the house with a gunshot wound in his chest. Mendez died at a hospital.
According to the report, Garibaldi initially told officers he found his wounded cousin after hearing a gunshot. However, police say a witness described Garibaldi shooting Mendez.
The vest was found in the house with a projectile entrance hole, WTSP reported.
Garibaldi was held Sunday without bond on a manslaughter charge. Hillsborough County jail records didn’t show whether he had an attorney.
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Something to note: bullet-resistant vests (as this story show, there's no such thing as "bulletproof"
have different ratings.
The ones you wear under clothing might only resist the lower-caliber rounds, like a 22, or a 9mm.
The ones the military wear cannot be worn under clothing, and have ceramic plates in them - those are the ones designed to resist rounds from rifles.
My guess is that Florida Man used a high-powered handgun, like a 44 magnum, and shot it at the guy and a vest not designed to resist such a round. Either that or it was an old vest, had a lot of wear and tear. When they're exposed to water, get worn out over time, and so on, they degrade.
without putting it on, right? 
