SJ Magazine, September 2020 – Jarrod Broadway knew two things: the young man’s name, and that he was mentally ill.
Broadway, an officer with the Burlington Township Police Department, had been called to a local home by a father who said his schizophrenic son was wielding a big hunting knife. If the situation escalated any further, Broadway and his fellow officers knew they might be pressed to use deadly force.
Then, someone on the scene used the young man’s name, and Broadway saw his chance. The officer started to talk, calling him by name, building a connection and convincing him to put down the knife. The officers didn’t take him to the station. Instead, they brought him to a crisis center, where he was able to get back on his medication.
