BlackWolf, rideshare service with armed drivers, is expanding to Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - A new rideshare service with arned drivers is expanding to Austin. Some Austin residents said it’s not needed, while others said they’d prefer it.

"I know it's so controversial," BlackWolf Founder Kerry KingBrown said.

BlackWolf’s drivers carry guns.

"I would feel much safer because, especially in downtown Austin, pulling up at a light or something, anything could happen," retired first responder Mollie Miller said.

"I just don't really see the point of it. You know, you just get it in the back of a car, so why would they need to be armed?" Austin resident Ben Wilson said.

"The gun is the deterrent," KingBrown said.

KingBrown launched BlackWolf in May 2023. It follows a similar on-demand ride model like Uber or Lyft.

"But I want people to understand, we're not Uber, we are Blackwolf with guns, if that's what you want to call it, we are BlackWolf with guns with vetted drivers," KingBrown said.

To drive for Uber of Lyft in Texas, driving record and criminal history background checks are required. Common disqualifying convictions include DWIs, major moving violations, violent crimes, sexual offenses, and fraud. Uber and Lyft drivers and riders are prohibited from carrying firearms while using the platform.

"There are so many, just so many loopholes in the ride hailing industry," KingBrown said.

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Since the beginning of 2024, FOX 7 has reported on many incidents involving rideshare drivers.

In February, a Lyft driver in Houston said his passenger tried to kill him.

"He took my seatbelt and wrapped it around my neck, choking me," Lyft driver Kehinde Ayoola said.

In August, an Uber driver in Austin was arrested for sexually assaulting a passenger. Court documents said a woman had been drinking, requested an Uber, fell asleep in the car, and woke up to 38-year-old Victor Legon-Frias sexually assaulting her.

In October, an Uber driver in Dallas was seen on video attacking an elderly passenger. The rider said it happened after he complained about lack of legroom in the backseat.

"And suddenly he hit me like that here," Uber passenger Suleman Gauba said.

"We all deserve to get from point A to point B safely," KingBrown said.

KingBrown said his drivers are vetted and must have a minimum of four years experience in law enforcement, the military, or security.

"You have a trusted driver. You know his background," KingBrown said.

KingBrown said BlackWolf is also more of a service.

"We add in more of a concierge feeling to it, so let's say you book, they arrive, and the driver shows up at whatever service level you choose, he's going to open the door for you, he's going to close the door behind you, he’s going to get in the vehicle and talk to you," KingBrown said.

But it will come at a higher price.

"If you compare us to the owners of the lifts of the world, we're about 10 to 15% higher," KingBrown said.

When FOX 7 asked Austin residents if they had to choose between an armed or unarmed driver, they responded:

"I would pick him over an Uber driver that does not carry a gun," Miller said. "As long as you have the proper training, and you're using it right, I don't have a problem with it."

"I would just go for the cheapest option, to be honest, so I wouldn't care at all," Wilson said.

BlackWolf currently has about 75 drivers across Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Arizona. They are looking to hire about 15 to 20 people in Austin with plans to start servicing the area next month.

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