Rideshare Company Offering Armed Drivers To Launch In Texas

A startup rideshare company that matches customers with drivers who are armed and have a background in law enforcement is set to launch in Texas next year.

Kerry KingBrown launched BlackWolf, a rideshare startup that boasts a roster of drivers with clean backgrounds, permits to carry guns and flawless driving records, in Atlanta in 2023.

Since then, more than 300,000 people have downloaded the app across four markets in Atlanta, Orlando, Miami and Phoenix.

"The idea came from one of my clients that I was transporting; she was caught in human trafficking for about three years...she gave me the idea and said you need to create something, some type of transportation for people like me and my daughter," KingBrown told the Houston Chronicle.

A recent online poll let customers choose where the app should launch next, and users decided on Houston, Dallas and Austin. Currently, the company is recruiting drivers who meet the criteria.

"Those who are armed are licensed, they are vetted, and most of them are ex-military or law enforcement," KingBrown told the Houston Chronicle. "Those people understand how to carry a weapon. They've been trained with it."

He added BlackWolf drivers are also taught de-escalation and understand that a gun is "actually the last thing they're going to use."

KingBrown hopes to debut in Texas in early 2025.

Originally published by Latin Times