Constable Jason Inacio of the Newark Police Department. was able to use a simple Chinese take-out offer to help a man get out of his apartment room, where he threatened to slit his throat with a knife on Saturday.
The cops had negotiated with the 38-year-old for about 20 minutes before Inacio came up with the idea of catching him.
"We gave someone 20 dollars and I said," I'll let you eat on the way to the hospital, "Inacio recalls. "We just wanted to know where he came from and reassure him. The only reason we are here is to help him and try to comfort him. "
A family member would have grabbed the food - described as "a hearty bowl of chicken and broccoli" - and delivered it to the man.
The man finally agreed to drop the knife and was transported shortly thereafter to an ambulance at a local hospital.
"If I promise something, I want to follow through on my promise," Inacio said.
