New Atlanta ride-sharing app offers armed drivers for protection

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - You don’t typically see a bulletproof vest in the trunk of someone’s car.

“We’re about security and safety at all times,” said Kerry King Brown.

However, Atlanta’s Kerry King Brown isn’t an ordinary driver. He’s also a private investigator and an experienced bodyguard for celebrities and politicians.

Now, he wants you to feel what it’s like to have “executive protection.”

“Who are mostly on the news getting robbed, getting raped? The average person. What I’m creating is a necessary evil. It’s a necessity,” Brown said.

Brown’s new ride-sharing app. called “Black Wolf,” lets you request a driver who is armed.

The app., which launched just last week, already has 79,000 downloads.

Brown says he and his drivers are legally armed with experience in the military, law enforcement, or private security.

They go through background checks and they’re trained to de-escalate potentially dangerous situations.

“We’re not here to fight anybody, we’re not here to draw guns. Even though it says armed, we’re trained not to do that,” he said.

Drivers will also stay with you after you reach your destination.

“There’s a wait option on the app. You touch wait, click on it, [and] it starts the clock,” said Brown.

The base price for an armed driver is $60 or $50 if they’re unarmed, and then you pay about $1.75 a mile after that.

Customer Jackelyn Eckles will gladly pay for it. Her Black Wolf driver escorted her home late at night from the airport.

“I think everyone deserves to feel safe,” she said. “I just feel like there’s been too many incidents on different platforms.”

“I’m catering to the people who see this as a value who want to take their life seriously,” said Brown.

Currently, the service is only available across greater Atlanta.

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