3 Brick Police Officers Honored For Saving Man In Crisis

BRICK, NJ — Three Brick Township police officers were honored recently and one was named Officer of the Year for their crisis intervention skills that saved the life of a man who was threatening suicide.

Officers John Daly, Anthony Rossi and Steven Schocket were honored at the 11th annual CIT-NJ Center of Excellence awards ceremony, and Daly was named officer of the year, in connection with the incident that happened Sept. 1, 2025, the police department said.

Daly, Rossi and Schocket answered a call about a man who was suffering from mental instability and had been set off by an argument.

When his family called police due to what they said was his increasingly aggressive behavior, he grabbed a large knife and said he was not going to go back to a mental health facility and would rather die, police said.

When the officers arrived the man was outside the house pacing back and forth while holding the knife, authorities said. At times he would put the knife to his own throat, and he was belligerent with the officers, wanting them to shoot him.

During the 45-minute standoff, Shocket, Daly and Rossi continued to build a rapport with the man, who at times appeared to be making advances to try to force a police response.

"Due to these three officers' extraordinary efforts during a tense negotiation period, the subject voluntarily dropped the knife and allowed himself to taken into custody and transported to a mental health facility," according to a description of the events shared at the awards ceremony.

Daly, who had completed the Crisis Intervention Training just days before the incident, was lauded as officer of the year for "his exceptional professionalism, compassion, and dedication to Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) principles" in his response in the situation.

"The Brick Township Police Department is proud to recognize the outstanding achievements of our officers and the continued commitment to excellence in serving our community," the police department said in a post on Facebook.

"In addition, the department was honored to receive the 2025 Unit Citation Award from the CIT-NJ Center of Excellence. This award recognizes the collective efforts of officers during a critical incident, where Officers Daly, Rossi, and Schocket demonstrated remarkable judgment, communication, and de-escalation skills, ensuring a safe and positive outcome during a high-risk incident," the police department said.

"These recognitions reflect the highest standards of policing and highlight our department’s commitment to preserving life, supporting those in crisis, and serving our community with professionalism and compassion," the department said.

Brick Township police prevented another suicide in April when a man left his home, telling others he was going to hurt himself. After a four-hour search that included K-9 officers and drones through what police described as extremely difficult terrain, including dense woods, thick thorn-covered brush, swampy ground, and creek areas, found the man despite him trying to evade officers by hiding when he was spotted.

The man ultimately was found safe and taken to a local hospital for further medical evaluation and care, authorities said.