Above: A police officer speaks with my fellow NJ 101.5 host, Bill Spadea, earlier this year about running down a man who was about to jump from a Route 287 overpass.

With all the bad press law enforcement has of late, I want you to know of a story that won't get much attention. The police did their job, showed restraint, apprehended a criminal, and no one got hurt.

Pretty boring, right?

Which is exactly why the praise most all police officers deserve is rarely given. You don't hear much of the countless stories of when things go right.

Jeff Deminski
Jeff Deminski
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Police in Atlantic City received a tip that a guy with a gun went into a Popeye's Chicken Wednesday afternoon. Surely the police officers' adrenaline had to be flowing when they went inside and approached Justin Figueroa. They asked the 20-year-old to step outside so they could talk to him. Once outside, he suddenly ran from the police and a chase was on.

Now, keep in mind they already know they're there because he's reported to have a gun on him, and now he's fleeing and it's their job to go after him. That adrenaline kicks up even higher. When one officer caught up with him, he attacked the cop, according to reports from The Press of Atlantic City.

Did this end in another police shooting? No. This officer managed to take him down and did indeed find a loaded, stolen handgun on Figueroa. Police also said he had an undisclosed amount of marijuana on him. No one got hurt.

I'm sure this scene is repeated many, many times a day throughout the United States but you never hear of it. When I've seen things I thought were wrong I've strongly given my opinion, such as the shooting of Walter Scott in North Charleston, S.C. in 2015. That case quickly led to the police officer being indicted for murder, and rightly so. But while no police force is perfect, I still know the vast majority of law enforcement officers are doing a profoundly difficult job and doing it well every hour every day. This story from Atlantic City that you won't hear much about is an example.

Our morning host Bill Spadea does a thing every Friday called Blue Friday where he pays tribute to these unsung heroes and these often overlooked good stories. Do yourself a favor and check it out sometime.

— Jeff Deminski

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