Man shot dead by cousin testing flak jacket in Florida

The victim was not wearing a bulletproof vest, but a flak jacket, designed to stop fragments from explosive weapons, not bullets.

Police say a man fatally shot his cousin in Florida while testing a protective vest.

Alexandro Garibaldi told officers he heard a gunshot on Saturday and found his wounded 23-year-old cousin, Joaquin Mendez, inside the house, according to a report by news website KMOV.com.

But a report by Tampa Police said Mr Mendez put on the vest and "wondered aloud whether it still worked".

A witness told officers Garibaldi then took out a handgun and said "let's see" and shot him.

Officers found Mr Mendez with a gunshot wound to his chest. He later died in hospital.

They also found the vest which had a bullet hole in it.

Police said it was not a bulletproof vest, but a "fragmentation protective vest", also known as a flak jacket.

They are designed to stop fragments from explosive weapons such as grenades - not bullets.

Garibaldi, 24, was arrested and has been charged with manslaughter with a weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm.