Carlos Then and Alex Peralta made it their life’s mission to create a security company with integrity after Peralta nearly lost his life.
“An under licensed security guard actually stabbed me,” Peralta said. “I was resuscitated at the ER table.”
Peralta, who spent 11 years in the Marine Corps Special Forces and survived dozens of deployments, said it was shocking to go through this at home.
The incident drew attention to the faults within the nightlife industry.
“Bouncers taking bribes. Weapons, guns, knives, everything was getting into these bars, clubs, and restaurants. It got to a point where people just did not want to come out,” Peralta said.
Then added, “Nobody wants to get beat up by a bouncer, nobody wants to get stabbed or shot.”
To create change in the industry, the pair created Knight Life Security. They underwent extensive training on topics such as de-escalation, awareness, and weapons.
“We brought that back to Rhode Island," Then said.
"And we believe in having the proper armor and devices to do our job efficiently and Byrna is one of those items."
They believe in the effectiveness of the Byrna and ensuring everyone has a safe time while out.
“We chose a non-lethal option; if it did come down to having to use it, at least that person’s life is not necessarily at risk. They may hurt a little bit but they will remain alive and intact,” Then said.
He knows how well the Kinetic projectiles work after taking shots himself. “I was actually wearing a vest at the time as well. And even with wearing a vest, I could still feel the round so I was impressed,” he added.
Peralta said he had incidents where he used the Byrna at work.
“I’ve used it to disperse a crowd outside that was getting violent. So shots were fired at the ground. The spray went off into the air and below knee caps. It was very effective. They all dispersed. And the sound that it makes, it was intimidating,” Peralta said.
For Peralta and Then, the Byrna is a symbol of respect and safety.
