Lawrence police acquire armored military vehicle

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A central Indiana city has acquired an armored military vehicle for use in highly dangerous situations.

The Lawrence Police Department in Marion County acquired the 48,000-pound, mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle through a federal military surplus program.

Lawrence's is the latest Indiana law enforcement agency to obtain one of the 12-foot-high vehicles, designed for use in combat zones. Other departments that have acquired the vehicles include sheriff's departments in Johnson, Morgan and Jefferson counties, and the West Lafayette, Merrillville, Mishawaka and Terre Haute police departments.

Lawrence police Capt. Gary Woodruff tells The Indianapolis Star the six-wheeler could be used by SWAT teams in cases of mass shootings or bomb threats.

The vehicles cost more than $700,000 new, but the military refurbishes them and donates them to local police agencies.