Asbury Park Police Save Suicidal Person On Beach

ASBURY PARK, NJ — Asbury Park Police saved the life of a person who was suicidal and holding a knife to his throat on the beach on March 14, the town announced.

This happened on the beachfront near First Avenue:

Police were first called there for a report of a missing or endangered person. Upon arrival, police located the person on the beach holding a knife to their own neck and expressing intent to harm themselves.

On March 31, the city released this video that shows the incident.

At one point during the incident, the person verbally expressed a desire to be shot.

"Rather than escalating the situation, officers immediately applied de-escalation techniques, working to establish communication and build rapport with the individual while additional units secured the surrounding area," said a city spokesman.

As the situation developed and the individual moved into the water, the officers coordinated a carefully timed response, using distraction and strategic positioning to safely disarm and take the individual into custody. No injuries were reported.

The person was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for a crisis evaluation.

"This incident is a testament to the training and professionalism of our officers," said Asbury Park Police Director John Hayes. "De-escalation is a skill, and it requires discipline and courage to apply it under pressure. I'm proud of how our team handled this call, and I'm grateful everyone went home safe. What Officer Leon and others did was not only strategic, it was heroic."