Texas Police Department Expands Bullet-Resistant Glass Program After Police Officer Saved

FORT WORTH, Texas -- A Fort Worth police officer says bullet-resistant glass installed in his patrol vehicle saved his life during a shootout, as the department moves to expand the safety equipment across its fleet.

Officer Lorenzo Burrell of the Fort Worth Police Department said the glass prevented him from being shot during a May 2024 traffic stop that escalated into gunfire, according to WFAA-TV.

“Thankful to have the bullet-resistant glass. I know for a fact that it saved me from getting shot,” Burrell said.

According to police, the incident followed a May 18, 2024, shooting captured on security cameras, in which 33-year-old Devoreia Thompson was seen shooting a person and fleeing the scene. The following day, the Fort Worth Police Department was on alert as officers searched for the suspect.

Burrell, assigned to the department’s HOPE Unit, was patrolling when a Flock Safety license plate reader alerted officers to a vehicle believed to be connected to the shooting. Burrell initiated a traffic stop, and police said the driver opened fire, leading to a shootout captured on the patrol vehicle’s dash camera.

Burrell sustained injuries from flying glass and metal fragments but was not struck by gunfire.

“I have scars on my arm. Yes. From when the glass and the metal hit me,” Burrell said.

Fort Worth police said the department currently has 100 patrol vehicles equipped with bullet-resistant glass, along with 17 SWAT vehicles. In 2025, the department installed the glass in 130 additional patrol units, with another 130 vehicles planned this year.

Police Chief Eddie Garcia said the department has committed $1 million annually from the Crime Control and Prevention District fund to expand the program. An additional $1.2 million grant from the governor’s office is accelerating the effort.

“It’s a grant that we got from the governor’s office, really for officer safety,” Garcia said.

Garcia said his long-term goal is to equip every Fort Worth police vehicle with bullet-resistant glass. During a department demonstration, the glass was shown to withstand repeated rounds from high-caliber firearms. Police said the design also allows officers to fire outward from inside the vehicle when necessary.

“When you hear shots fired, and you know you’re there, officers are out there risking their lives for the community. Your heart drops. Every member of this department’s heart drops,” Garcia said.

The Fort Worth City Council ratified acceptance of the state grant during its Jan. 13 meeting. Garcia, now in his first year as chief, said city leadership has supported efforts to prioritize officer safety.

Garcia noted that Fort Worth’s deployment of bullet-resistant glass extends beyond that of neighboring agencies. The Dallas Police Department, where Garcia previously served as chief, has the protection installed only on its five SWAT BearCat vehicles.

Burrell said the investment sends a clear message to officers and their families.

“We’ve seen a lot of incidents involving firearms against police officers,” Burrell said. “Fortunately, a lot of the incidents involve rounds going through the windshield and going through the driver’s and passenger’s side windows.”

Garcia said the initiative is also about reassuring officers’ families that the department is taking measurable steps to reduce risk.

“It goes a long way for not only the officers, but their families,” Garcia said. “For the families to know that this department cares is tremendous.”

Nearly two years after the shooting, Burrell returned to the South Edgewood Terrace area where the incident occurred and reflected on the outcome.

“It’s really, really, surreal. I’m thankful,” Burrell said.