Latch assembly for vertical door and method of operating

A vertical door latch assembly comprising:

• a housing;
• a bolt movably attached to the housing, the bolt having a catch portion;
• a drive motor located within the housing configured to selectively move a lock assembly between a locked position preventing movement of the bolt and an unlocked position allowing movement of the bolt, wherein the drive motor comprises a rotational driving output that rotates about an axis that is parallel to the bolt;
• a controller in communication with the drive motor and configured to instruct the drive motor to move the lock assembly between the locked position and the unlocked position;
• and
• a force sensor in communication with the controller and configured to measure when a force applied to at least one of the bolt or the housing exceeds a predetermined threshold.