Atlantic City heroes: Two officers foil boardwalk attack during charity run

Imagine you're getting ready for a nice run on the boardwalk in Atlantic City for a charity 5k. Thinking about a day off and relaxing with a nice meal after the run, then everything changes.

It happened last month on a summer morning at the Atlantic City boardwalk.

Off-duty officer spots woman in danger

Lt. James Herbert was off-duty and getting ready to run in a Memorial 5k when he noticed a man on the beach who had a woman in a headlock, pulling her towards the boardwalk.

Lt. Herbert did not hesitate; he yelled to a fellow runner to call 911 and took off in a full sprint toward the trouble. In his attempt to protect the woman, he got into a physical altercation with the suspect.

Then it turned uglier, the man pulled out a knife and threatened Lt. Herbert.

Second off-duty cop jumps in to stop knife attack

That's when Captain Scott Pollack of the nearby Northfield Police Department, who was also running the 5k, sprang into action.

Seeing the melee escalate, Capt. Pollak, also off duty, retrieved his weapon and gave verbal commands to the man, who began to retreat, dropped the knife, and ultimately ran off the Boardwalk.

The man attempted to hide; however, several witnesses informed responding officers of his location, just off the boardwalk on the beach block of New York Avenue. The man was taken into custody.

Arrest made after officers save woman

During transportation, the man became combative leading to an injury sustained by Officer Aaron McKim.

Atlantic City Police Chief James Sarkos had this to say about Herbert and Pollak:

“This incident highlights that officers are never off-duty and are always serving and protecting...in this instance, two off-duty police officers from different departments came together without hesitation to deescalate a volatile situation and protect a person who appeared to be in severe physical danger and distress.”

The man was charged with simple assault, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

These two off-duty officers saved a woman from a potential deadly scenario.

Thank you to Atlantic City Police Lt. James Herbert & Northfield Capt. Scott Pollak, they are our Blue Friday Honorees for this week!

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own.

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