An Atlantic City police officer used a taser to stop a man holding a razor to his own throat and demanding officers shoot him.
Police were called to the 100 block of South Missouri Avenue at 11:27 p.m. Thursday for the report of a man threatening o hurt himself, Sgt. Paul Aristizabal said.
They arrived to find a 29-year-old man from Dayton, Ohio, on the sidewalk near the Boardwalk, where they immediately engaged him in conversation, according to the report.
He was visibly distressed and holding a razor blade to his neck, threatening to kill himself, Aristizabal said.
Sgt. Daniel Arra, a member of the Crisis Negotiation Team, responded and started to talk to the man, according to the report.
As Arra spoke with him, the man demanded the officers shoot him and started walking toward them, refusing orders to stop, Aristizabal said.
That is when Officer Louis Scarlata deployed his non-lethal taser, briefly incapacitating the man, who was disarmed.
The man was not physically injured and was taken by ambulance to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center's City Campus for further evaluation and treatment.
"Great work by our officers," Chief James Sarkos said. "Thanks to their dedication, commitment, training and the ACPD's investment in non-lethal options, a potentially deadly force incident was resolved with no loss of life."
Anyone who needs assistance, or knows someone that needs assistance, please call The Suicide and Crisis National Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or dial 988 to speak with a trained counselor.
