Deputy Sheriff Credits Ashtabula Body Armor Manufacturer for Helping Save his Life

Deputy Sheriff Jason Miller credits the workers of Iten Defense with helping to save his life.

Back in June, the SWAT officer with the Greene County Sheriff's Office (Missouri) was shot during a standoff.

"The guy retreated into the house, got his AR, and just started firing rounds at us from inside of the house," said Miller. "It felt pretty bad.   Felt like I was stabbed."

However, Miller avoided serious injury, thanks to the bullet proof armor he was wearing from Iten Defense.

The Ashtabula, Ohio, company manufactures composite body armor for police officers and members of the military.

Each vest contains a special threat plate, that helps prevent high-caliber bullets from penetrating the person who is wearing it.

"We protect against a wide variety of ballistic threats," said Iten Defense CEO Damon Walsh.  "The strike force breaks the bullet up and then our materials absorb the energy from the bullet to prevent it from entering the wearer."

The armor is part of the company's mission to protect the men and women who put themselves in harm's way.

"It's so rewarding," said Walsh.  "Saving lives is an easy mission to get behind."

On Friday, Miller met with workers at Iten Defense, to share his story.

"It's great that we heard his story and we were able to bring Deputy Miller here to visit us," said Walsh.  "It's very infrequent you get to se the lives of the people we've saved.

Miller is living proof of the armor's success.

"If I hadn't been wearing that, if my department hadn't had bought that, it would be a bad day," said Miller.  "I assumed if I didn't have the plate in there, I'd probably be deader than a hammer."