This past week, many families and friends across the United States gathered and gave thanks for the joys in their lives. We want to keep this season of gratitude going by sharing a few stories from some of the fine folks who devote their lives to protecting and serving our communities all year long.

The IACP/AXON Police Officer of the Year award honors a selection of heroes who work tirelessly to keep their communities safe. These individuals represent the best of the best, and truly embody Axon's mission to Protect Life. In honor of Thanksgiving, let’s take a look at five of the countless members of public safety for whom we are grateful. Below are the stories of this year’s International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)/Axon Police Officer of the Year finalists.

In September 2021, Officer Thadeau Holloway of the Dayton Police Department (OH) was responding to a fraud complaint. Holloway identified the subject outside of his home and approached on foot. The individual quickly turned physically violent. Ofc Holloway attempted to subdue the individual using a TASER energy weapon, but was unsuccessful. The subject pulled a firearm on Ofc Holloway and fired, shooting Ofc Holloway in the head. Ofc Holloway returned fire, striking the suspect and stopping the threat. Severely wounded, Ofc Holloway continued to monitor the suspect until the scene could be secured.

Ofc Holloway’s quick and brave actions resulted in the arrest of the subject. For his bravery and commitment to protecting the safety of the public in the face of personal danger, Ofc Holloway was awarded the IACP/AXON Police of the Year award.

In the winter of 2019, Sergeant Alex Huntley of the Furnas County Sheriffs Department (NE), responded to a call of suspected human trafficking. Sgt Huntley quickly realized the call was not only credible, but required a much larger investigation. Sgt. Huntley quickly brought together a group of experts from across Nebraska law enforcement, and together, the team uncovered over three decades of child and sexual abuse. Sgt. Huntley’s leadership led to 20 arrests, including the arrest of the leader of the criminal enterprise.

Sgt Huntley’s commitment to this investigation brought closure to countless victims and their families, and removed numerous violent felons from the streets. Sgt Huntley looked beyond the obvious to solve this complex investigation and was recognized as a finalist of the IACP/AXON Police Officer of the Year award.

In July 2021, Detective Gregory Moore of the Dekalb County Police Department (GA) was assigned to a missing persons case. Det Moore had little evidence to go off of and scoured cell phone records to identify a person of interest. Moore then conducted a complex investigation and uncovered that the missing person had been murdered.

Det Moore pursued countless leads and discovered that that the person of interest identified from the phone records was connected to multiple missing persons or murder cases. Det. Moore’s relentless pursuit led to the positive identification and arrest of a serial murderer. For his work, Det Moore was chosen as a finalist for the IACP/AXON Police of the Year award.

Officer Christopher McCain

Sergeant Samuel Cleveland

Sr. OFC. Christopher McCain and Sgt. Samuel Cleveland of the Houston, Tx Police Department - IACP/Axon Finalist 

In July 2021, Sr Officer Christopher McCain and Sergeant Samuel Cleveland of the Houston Police Department (TX) responded to a disturbance on the third floor of an apartment complex. Sgt Cleveland initiated contact with the subject at the door of the apartment complex. As the discussion evolved, the suspect shifted his stance, revealing a firearm in his possession. Sgt Cleveland lunged to disarm the suspect. The subject deployed his firearm, striking Sgt Cleveland several times. Sr Ofc McCain was able to grab the arm of the subject and disarm the individual safely. Upon securing the subject, Sr Ofc McCain began trauma care for Sgt Cleveland while radioing for back up and emergency aid.

Both Sgt. Cleveland and Sr. Ofc. McCain acted bravely in moments of chaos to rapidly de-escalate a violent situation. For their teamwork and commitment to mitigating a violent situation, both officers were selected as finalists of the IACP/AXON Police of the Year award.


These stories are just a few examples of the countless acts of selflessness and bravery we are grateful for this season. Be it in the line of duty, or going the extra mile for their communities, officers and agencies across the country step up every single day to keep the civilians around them safe and secure.

Many public safety families had empty seats at their Thanksgiving tables. Some of their loved ones were selflessly on the clock serving their communities during the holiday. Others paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe. To each and every one of these heroes, we thank you for your service and we thank your loved ones for their sacrifices. Please know your sacrifices do not go unnoticed. Thank you for all you do. We are more than grateful.

We hope these stories inspire all of you, as much as they have inspired and moved us — thank you to the brave officers who serve and protect every day. 

The IACP/AXON Police Officer of the Year award honors heroes who work tirelessly to keep their communities safe. This Thanksgiving, let’s take a look at the stories of this year’s finalists, five of the countless members of public safety for whom we are grateful.

Giving thanks: The stories behind the five IACP/AXON Police of the Year finalists

BLOG: Giving thanks: The stories behind the five IACP/AXON Police of the Year finalists

MSG(R) Hardenio Abdon, Former US Army Europe Military Working Dog Program Manager, current Senior Manager of TASER and Packaging Operations, Axon

Axon Federal is excited for AUSA 2022 – the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition – in Washington, D.C., October 10-12, where we will showcase our vision for protecting the “Army Base of the Future.” 

Since Axon was founded in 1993, our product line has grown far beyond the bounds of our former namesake, TASER International, with new technologies, including AI and VR training, as well as our top-of-the-line body-worn cameras, non-lethal weapons for military use, TASER 7, counter-drone technology and even our in-car video system, Fleet 3 -- all of which will be featured at our booth at AUSA. 

Axon is proud to support our service members, both active and veterans. We recently sat down with Axon employee, retired Master Sgt. Hardenio Abdon, to discuss his time in the Army and how modern technology plays a key role for the military.

Abdon loved his time in the U.S. military. “I had the best job in the Army because I worked with dogs during my career,” he says. He worked with the US Army to locate explosives and persons with the help of trained police dogs. “We were a force multiplier for military police.”

After retiring from the military, Abdon joined a tech company. But soon after, he was pulled in a new direction — to a tech company that also closely aligned with his military career.

“Axon found me,” Abdon says. “Once I retired from the military and started in the private sector, an Axon recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn. I still wanted to serve my community and law enforcement, and Axon’s mission aligned with mine. I’m now supporting law enforcement with the necessary products they need.”

Now, Abdon works as a Senior Manager of TASER and Packaging Operations at Axon. His team is responsible for making sure all Axon products are compliant, efficiently sourced and provide a great customer experience upon unboxing. The team is also working to make all Axon packing biodegradable. 

Abdon credits his 20 years in the military for his current success at Axon. “The leadership that is learned in the military is so valuable in any organization,” he said. “You could teach a leader technical stuff, but you can’t teach a person leadership. Adaption and overcoming obstacles is another skill that has made me successful in my role. There’s always a solution.”

During his time in the military, Abdon used the TASER X26. “The product was very effective. The laser of the TASER [energy weapon] is a great deterrent and a great tool to de-escalate situations,” he said.

But he believes Axon’s entire product suite is critical to the military, specifically the new TASER 7, body-worn camera, and drone technology. “The products answer the call to what is needed in today’s environment to support the military police base protection mission.”

TASER Modernization for the US Army will be a topic the Axon Federal team will be prepared to discuss at the Axon Booth at AUSA 2022.

Through offering less-than-lethal weapons, Axon hopes to give installation security a better chance to protect their base and stay safe without jeopardizing lives unnecessarily. We envision a future where the U.S. military is able to provide optimum base protection using additional less-lethal tools to help keep bases safe.

To visit Axon’s Booth at AUSA and learn more about Axon’s Federal Solutions, visit  https://www.axon.com/ausa

For his part, Abdon wants to continue to give back — to the military and to veterans. “I want to help other veterans transition into the workforce. I enjoy Axon’s employee engagement committee that is improving morale and culture,” he said.

If you are former military and interested in working with Abdon, please visit axon.com/careers. 



Axon Federal is excited forAUSA 2022 – the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition – in Washington, D.C., October 10-12, where we will showcase our vision for protecting the “Army Base of the Future"

Protecting the Army Base of the Future: Axon Gears up for AUSA 2022

BLOG: Protecting the Army Base of the Future: Axon Gears up for AUSA 2022

Humanity.
Humanity.
…and more humanity.

That is the essence of the energy that permeated through the walls of the Sheraton Beach Resort in Panama City, Florida, where several hundred Florida based Corrections leaders flocked for the 92nd Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency (FCCD) Conference.

The conference focuses on providing world class, criminal justice training across all branches of public safety.  The organization dates back to 1935 and was previously known as the Florida Probation Association, whose objective was to promote high standards for criminal justice agencies and personnel.  As such, corrections leaders are excited to attend this conference in celebration of their work, commitment to professional growth and a desire to learn of cutting-edge technology that is improving the criminal justice sphere.

The conference kicked off with a golf tournament in true Florida fashion—with a lot of sun and even more humidity. The tournament was an opportunity to not only raise money for charities that are important to this organization, but also create camaraderie and build relationships amongst those who are committed to maintaining stellar performance in Florida’s prisons and jails. According to the Florida Department of Corrections, Florida has the third largest prison population in the US making the work that organizations like FCCD do especially important. I watched as friends and colleagues shared a warm embrace, high-fives and enthusiastic elbow bumps—all happy to be reunited in the name of love for their profession. 

As I connected with various leaders, I found myself gaining a new understanding of Florida's corrections system and how the FCCD is taking a holistic approach to solve many community challenges. With three organizational pillars that includes: training, community service and collaboration with all criminal justice professions; I quickly realized that FCCD's commitment to improving criminal justice begins with their work in the community and is funneled into Florida's prisons through focused training, technology and leadership development.

Carol Starling, the current President of FCCD and a retired state Warden, shares the importance of providing training to corrections professionals in traditional and innovative ways. She states, “Because of our chapter effectiveness, every chapter is required to have a certain number of trainings yearly, on topics that will interest and improve the work and lives criminal justice professionals.”  As a forward-thinking public safety technology company, Axon uses virtual reality to provide corrections-specific training scenarios to emphasize critical thinking skills and drive retention.  The union between corrections and Axon's ecosystem of industry leading hardware, software and training safety continues to grow as more solutions are offered to improve efficiency in correctional facilities.

Starling continues on to emphasize, "Anyone who has a product or service dealing with the criminal justice field, must get in front of the people to know if the product is [any] good and how to make it better. You've got to find out what the needs are." This is exactly what the Axon Corrections team accomplished at the FCCD Conference.

The conference provided a direct opportunity for Axon Corrections representatives to share additional education of the performance, purpose and capabilities of the products and most importantly, learn about the customer experience.  Several conference goers from the Florida Department of Corrections spoke highly about the efficiency of the TASER and body-worn-camera (BWC) sharing that although there was some hesitation at the initial adoption, today, they simply cannot imagine doing their jobs without it.

One attendee expressed gratitude for the TASER 7 exclaiming that, "Simply carrying a TASER significantly reduces conflict within our correctional facilities—it’s invaluable!"  Moments like this are both humbling and inspiring as it illustrates the power of Axon's solutions.  Over the course of this 4-day conference, I learned that both BWC and the TASER energy weapons are critical in de-escalation and prevention of incidents within Florida correctional facilities.

More than anything, attendees felt that their experience, feedback and contribution to society mattered, and Axon Corrections was there to listen, learn and support them every step of the way. The overall feeling of the conference was hopeful and committed as reconnected, grew professionally and learned about cutting edge technology that will assist them in executing their job more effectively.

With organizations like FCCD creating a pathway to improve the criminal justice experience and Axon Corrections providing technology to make prisons, jails and juvenile detention centers safer, we are well on our way to creating a more efficient corrections system.

FCCD conference focuses on providing world class, criminal justice training across all branches of public safety.

A Worthy Cause: The Future of Corrections

BLOG: A Worthy Cause: The Future of Corrections

Ground-breaking new conference will focus on saving lives, officer wellness, higher performance and human connection

Today, Axon announced it will host its inaugural TASERCON conference in Las Vegas on January 23-26, 2023.

A 2021 survey by Police1 found that officer morale decreased by 75% during the last year, and over half of surveyed officers stated that they would not recommend the career to others. Because of this, compiled with staggering statistics on officer health and life expectancy, Axon has created TASERCON to be an expression of its commitment to the importance of whole officer training and wellness.

This first-of-its kind training conference is designed to help agencies and officers perform at higher levels than ever before, with training and education designed around the whole officer.Geared toward law enforcement trainers, chiefs, command staff and officers, each attendee will walk away with something valuable and unique to their position and will experience new tools and technologies, hands-on professional development, certification courses and raw discussions around the biggest challenges facing public safety today. Agency leaders will also take away best practices for recruiting and retaining talent as well as understanding how wellness and vitality influence human performance.

“TASERCON is going to be one of the year’s most important and exciting events for our customers and partners,” says Rick Smith, Axon CEO and founder. “With three days of core programming centered around law enforcement education and training, attendees will gain new skills and innovative solutions to the complex issues facing public safety. We’ve also cultivated sessions around the symbiotic relationship between law enforcement and communities to up-level performance and provide greater outcomes.”

With break-out sessions purpose-built to drive safer outcomes and protect life, including: “Suicide in the Police Profession,” and “Surviving the First Three Seconds,”TASERCON attendees will obtain actionable advice on human-centered, positive policing strategies from a vast array of experts. Notable speakers include retired Chief of Police Kristen Ziman; co-founder of 30X30 Initiative Maureen McGough; retired USMC Colonel and best-selling author on leadership Tom Gordon; and former Chief of Police and renowned public speaker Paul Butler.Attendees will also have the opportunity for hands-on experiences such as a TASER device live-fire village, immersive Virtual Reality training lab, and peer-to-peer coaching sessions with actionable advice on wellness, nutrition and promotion readiness.

“TASERCON focuses on the whole officer — not just on-the-job tools and tactics,” says Andy Wrenn, Head of Axon Training. “We are building new skills and strategies that will help save lives, achieve higher levels of performance and create long-lasting impact.”

TASERCON will be held at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. To learn more or to register for TASERCON 2023, please visit tasercon.com. For information about sponsorships or becoming a sponsor of TASERCON, please email sponsorships@axon.com.

Non-Axon trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Axon, Axon Network, TASER and the Delta Logo are trademarks of Axon Enterprise, Inc., some of which are registered in the US and other countries. For more information, visit www.axon.com/legal. All rights reserved.

Ground-breaking new conference will focus on saving lives, officer wellness, higher performance and human connection.

Axon Announces First-of-its-Kind Public Safety Training Conference: TASERCON

BLOG: Axon Announces First-of-its-Kind Public Safety Training Conference: TASERCON

The Axon Roadshow is back! Our Axon Voyager trailers hit the road last week to host another year of product demo days at public safety agencies nationwide. Joining us on the road are our partners, Cradlepoint and Verizon.

Over the course of the next eight months, our 3 custom Axon Voyager trailers will visit all 48 contiguous United States, providing demos of some of our latest tech and showing some well-deserved customer appreciation.

Each Axon Voyager trailer is equipped with a Cradlepoint- and Verizon-powered control tent for software demos, two Virtual Reality training bays and a TASER 7 firing range where TASER Master Instructors guide attendees through hands-on practice with Axon’s latest generation of the TASER energy weapon.

Fotokite, a service provider of tethered drone technology, is joining the Axon Roadshow to provide hands-on demos of Fotokite Sigma. Fotokite Sigma can launch, fly and land with the push of a button, and this drone requires no setup time, calibration or active piloting. Our Axon Air team, powered by DroneSense, will provide demos of Fotokite and DJI real-time situational awareness capabilities and explain how the drone hardware integrates with Axon Evidence. 

Axon Roadshow stops are open to all sworn public safety officers and leaders, and are a perfect opportunity to check out the latest Axon technology.

“We are thrilled to be kicking off the second year of the Axon Roadshow,” says Hunter Eisenhauer, Axon’s Roadshow Manager. “The Roadshow is a great opportunity for us to truly engage with first responders and show them the latest tech. It’s also a great way to celebrate public safety and the work they do - it’s a pleasure to serve those who keep our communities safe.”

We look forward to meeting you on the road this year!

If you are interested in hosting or attending a roadshow stop, contact roadshow@axon.com or visit axon.com/events/roadshows

Cradlepoint is a trademark of Cradlepoint, Inc., DroneSense is a trademark of DroneSense, Inc., Fotokite is a trademark of Perspective Robotics and Verizon is a trademark of Verizon Trademark Services, LLC. 

ARTICLE: On the Road Again: The 2022 Axon Roadshow is officially underway

Over the course of the next eight months, our 3 custom Axon Voyager trailers will visit all 48 contiguous United States.

On the Road Again: The 2022 Axon Roadshow is officially underway

National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week is an amazing opportunity for us all to show our deep and sincere appreciation for the men and women who help us in the most dire moments of our lives. Like us, they are committed to ensuring that everyone gets home safe. With this common focus in mind, we feel that a continued dialogue is vital towards achieving this shared goal. 

We are excited to announce a monthly set of activities and discussions in the months ahead to carry the goodwill and appreciation beyond simply a single week. During this time, we’ll be partnering with APCO and public safety organizations around the nation to create and share content that will help us think differently, which is especially important in these challenging times.


Below are some upcoming events taking place in the months ahead which will help get this started and sincerely hope you will attend. 

April 22, 2020 
APCO webinar 
“Revolutionizing the Communications Center with Situational Awareness”
 Presenter: Donno Cole, Subject Matter Expert

May 20, 2020
APCO webinar 
“Know Before It’s Voiced: Use Cases for Real-Time Situational Awareness”
Presenter: Kevin Shah, Director of Product Management

...and more on the way throughout 2020!

Stay in Touch
Want to stay in touch and learn more about how technology can help public safety agencies like yours?
Simply complete the simple form below to receive invitations to future events, engagement opportunities and learn how other agencies are utilizing state-of-the-art technologies to not only drive more visibility and efficiency but also ensuring everyone gets home safe.


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Axon announces a monthly set of activities and discussions in the months ahead beyond the National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week to carry the goodwill and appreciation for the men and women who help us in the most dire moments of lives.

Axon PSAP Events

ARTICLE: Scorpuis Events Page

Deepening the discussion on ensuring everyone gets home safe

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Axon Enterprise, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAXN), the global leader in connected public safety technologies, today announced that Andrea James, Axon VP of Investor Relations and Corporate Strategy, will participate in the following investor conference:

Event: CL King's 17th Annual Best Ideas Conference
Location: New York City
Date: Thursday, September 19, 2019
Time: 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time

The presentation will be webcast live and archived on Axon's investor relations website at https://investor.axon.com.

Axon is a network of devices, apps and people that helps public safety personnel become smarter and safer. With a mission of protecting life, our technologies give customers the confidence, focus and time they need to keep their communities safe. Our products impact every aspect of a public safety officer's day-to-day experience.

We work hard for those who put themselves in harm's way for all of us. To date, there are more than 397,800 software seats booked on the Axon network around the world and more than 220,000 lives and countless dollars have been saved with the Axon network of devices, apps and people. Learn more at www.axon.com or by calling (800) 978-2737.

Facebook is a trademark of Facebook, Inc. and Twitter is a trademark of Twitter, Inc. Axon and the Delta Logo are trademarks of Axon Enterprise, Inc., some of which are registered in the US and other countries. For more information, visit www.axon.com/legal. All rights reserved.

Axon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/axon_us

Axon on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Axon.ProtectLife/

Please visit http://investor.axon.com, https://www.axon.com/press, www.twitter.com/axon_us  and https://www.facebook.com/Axon.ProtectLife/ where Axon discloses information about the company, its financial information and its business.

Carley Partridge
Axon PR and Communications Manager
Press@Axon.com

 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/axon-to-participate-in-cl-kings-17th-annual-best-ideas-conference-300912213.html

Axon Participated in CL King's 17th Annual Best Ideas Conference

ARTICLE: Axon to Participate in CL King's 17th Annual Best Ideas Conference

Axon to Participate in CL King's 17th Annual Best Ideas Conference

Law enforcement officers live anything but an ordinary existence. They're our community members and guardians. Our neighbors and night watchmen. Our friends and our first responders. And they don't always get the credit they deserve.

In recognition of those special, often under-appreciated men and women, Axon teamed up with chart-topping band One Republic to create a tribute video with One Republic's song “I Lived” serving as the soundtrack.

One Republic gave the tribute performance during Axon's 25th anniversary party at IACP 2018. Lake County, IL Police Chief Jason Roberto was in attendance and recorded the performance and shared it to his Facebook page. The result has been an outstanding outpouring of support and appreciation for those in blue. As of this writing, the video has been viewed over 6 million times and has been shared over 90,000 times.

From everyone here in the Axon family, thank you to all those in blue.

A Law Enforcement tribute by OneRepublic put on by Axon

See the viral Facebook post

Axon teamed up with chart-topping band One Republic to create a law enforcement tribute video with One Republic's song “I Lived” serving as the soundtrack.

Emotional Law Enforcement Tribute Video Goes Viral

ARTICLE: Emotional Law Enforcement Tribute Video Goes Viral

One Republic's Tribute performance of “I Lived” gets over 6 million views

When you have epic product announcements like TASER 7, Axon Body 3 and Axon Records free for five years, you have to have an epic booth and customer experience to tell the story, right?

This year, Axon super-powered IACP, creating a graphic novel and booth experience that helped customers visualize how our products help take police from heroes to super heroes.

Customers at IACP were greeted with their own ION Force graphic novel and slick graphics and animations showing out all of Axons products help officers do amazing things.

Check out a video our IACP experience and get your own copy of ION Force, volume 1 here.

But, this year at Axon's booth, customers didn't just get to see our technology—they got to go hands-on with it.

STEP INTO A VIRTUAL REALITY COMIC BOOK WORLD

It's one thing to read a graphic novel, but what about stepping inside one? Customers at IACP got to put Oculus Go™ headsets on and enter a comic book world. They listened to CEO Rick Smith discuss our new product offerings, surrounded by heroes and villains from the graphic world.

Within the virtual reality world, customers then got a chance to see a sampling of the future of training in public safety. In a 360-degree world, the audience was put in the position of someone having a psychotic break, and then put into the shoes of an officer responding to that episode. This small sample of empathy training highlights Axon's commitment to not only bring officers the most effective devices and software, but also the kind of deep, varied training that keeps you at peek performance.

After their VR experience, customers were then given instruction into the TASER 7 and got a chance to fire one of the new CEWs with one-on-one instruction from a TASER Master Instructor.

Axon put a very special tribute together in honor of our 25th anniversary. At our party, we brought in the band One Republic and put together a video to honor police to the song “I Lived.” A cell phone video of this performance and tribute montage was posted to Facebook and has since gone viral, seen over five million times.

Axon super-powered IACP 2018, creating a graphic novel and booth experience that helped customers visualize how our products help take police from heroes to super heroes.

Axon Super Powers - IACP 2018 Recap

ARTICLE: Axon Super Powers - IACP 2018 Recap

At Axon, the stuff of comic books and science fiction is being turned into reality. Our goal is to create technology so good, it's like public safety officers have super powers. And this year at IACP, we introduced several new products that will do just that.

Turning heroes into super heroes for 25 years.

Axon's presence at IACP 2018

TASER 7

Axon Body 3

Axon Records

Any good super hero will tell you that they're most capable when they are able to utilize all of their powers together. The Officer Safety Plan was created to help make it easier for officers to stay outfitted with the most efficient and most effective technologies available – helping officers serve their communities to the highest possible degree.

Learn more about the advantages of bundling super-powered technology. 

MEET THE ALLEGORICAL EMBODIMENT OF THE AXON NETWORK

Our inspiration from comic book super powers runs deep. So, we decided to have some fun and use the science fiction / super hero genre to help showcase the capabilities we can now bring to every officer through our ecosystem. Meet Officer ION: the hero who embodies the Intelligent Officer Network. Our inspiration comes full circle, from the heroes that inspired us.

At Axon, we believe in aiming far. We want to reinvent the world to be a safer, better place. “Protect Life” may be a lofty mission, but it's one that has inspired us for 25 years. Looking back and seeing how rapidly and expansively public safety and accountability capabilities have progressed in such a short time strengthens our drive as a company to continue to innovate and save more lives.

25 Years of Protecting Life

Axon unveiled new products in IACP 2018. See what got us here and stay tuned for more.

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