Horry County to receive highly scrutinized armored military vehicle

Horry County Police plan to introduce a Caiman heavily-armored vehicle Monday that’s been criticized as making police “excessively militarized.”

Lt. Raul Denis of the Horry County Police Department referred all questions about plans for the vehicle to a press conference Monday when the police department will unveil Rescue 1, which is what it will be named.

The department obtained the vehicle through the U.S. 10-33 excess military property program, according to a press release issued by the department Wednesday.

Denis did say he does not think the Caiman would be used for events like the Atlantic Beach Bikefest, which has been at the center of scrutiny since shooting deaths and crime occurred last Memorial Day weekend.

“I really don’t think so,” Denis said. “Those aren’t the kind of ideas we were looking at.”