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U.S. sues bulletproof vest makersFrom Terry Frieden RELATEDWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Justice Department joined a federal lawsuit Friday against a U.S. company and a Japanese firm, alleging they knowingly provided defective bulletproof vests to federal, state, and local law enforcement officers. The whistle-blower lawsuit was brought in February 2004 by a former company official who alleges the suppliers knew the vests' ability to stop bullets was being misrepresented. The whistle-blower, Aaron Westrick, once worked as director of research and composite development at Second Chance Body Armor, the Central Lake, Michigan, manufacturer of the vests. The Justice Department said that the vests were made of Zylon fiber manufactured by Toyobo, the Japanese firm. The lawsuit alleges that the two companies conspired to suppress evidence that the Zylon fabric degraded faster than disclosed to the U.S. government when the product was exposed to light, heat and humidity. Toyobo and Second Chance are blaming one another for the alleged problems, and both predicted they would be vindicated. Toyobo issued a statement strongly disputing the allegations in the lawsuit. "Second Chance was the bad actor, not Toyobo," said spokesman Kent Jarrell. "There was no conspiracy. Second Chance deceived Toyobo, the law enforcement community, and investigating authorities including the Department of Justice," Jarrell said. Toyobo maintains Zylon works well in bulletproof vests which are properly constructed, and says the Justice Department's own National Institute of Justice has no fault with Zylon and recommends vests including those made with Zylon. However, Second Chance has issued a statement saying, "The problems associated with Zylon are not specific to Second Chance -- these problems are industry-wide". "In a decision to protect the lives of public safety officers, Second Chance Body Armor is recommending the immediate replacement of any of its bullet-resistant vests containing Zylon fiber," the company said last week. "We are aggressively pursuing litigation against the fiber's manufacturer, Toyobo Co. Ltd. in an effort to recover funds that can be used to provide a remedy to affected police departments and safety officers," Second Chance said. Second Chance, which says it is the nation's largest body armor maker, is currently going through reorganization in federal bankruptcy court. The complaint seeks to recover damages relating to the sale of defective Zylon bulletproof vests. 
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