>Users:   login   |  register       > email     > people    


DISORDERLY CONDUCT: Off-Duty Correctional Police Officer Helps to Calm a Chaotic Situation
By Matt Schuman, New Jersey Department of Corrections
Published: 02/25/2019

Njdoc hero scaled
It was a warm summertime evening, and Senior Correctional Police Officer William Herring was on his way to work at Northern State Prison. While stopped at a gas station, Herring saw a pedestrian struck by a vehicle on Elizabeth Avenue in Newark.

The madness was just beginning to unfold.

The officer, a New Jersey Department of Corrections employee for almost four years, was prepared to help. Herring was on the phone with a police dispatcher and making his way to the accident scene when things began to deteriorate.

“I wanted to see if the accident victim was okay, but on my way over, I saw a bunch of people going after the driver of the vehicle,” Herring related. “The driver appeared to be distraught because of the accident. Anyway, someone physically attacked the guy, so I immediately tried to break it up.”

Unfortunately, the driver, a man who appeared to be in his 30s, had an entirely different idea of how to protect himself. His strategy involved a gun.

“I was literally three or four feet away from him when he started shooting,” Herring said. “One of the shots struck his attacker in the chest area. Just as the shooter turned toward me, I identified myself as a law enforcement officer and told him to put down his weapon, which he did.

“When he put the gun down, he actually threw it into his car, so I took the keys from him and locked the car,” he continued. “At that point, I said to him, ‘I need you to lay on the ground.’ At first, he resisted, but then he did what I asked. I had no handcuffs and no weapon, so the only thing I could use was my body weight. I just kept him on the ground and tried to calm him down as much as I could. As long as he was on the ground with me holding him down, he wasn’t in a position to start shooting again, and he was as safe as possible, under the circumstances.”

When the police arrived, they immediately placed the shooter in handcuffs and attempted to gather information on what had transpired. Herring called prison officials to report the incident.

“They told me to stay there for as long as I was needed,” he said.

At long last, the situation appeared to be under control. Appearances, however, can be deceiving. “Once the guy was cuffed, things got crazy again,” Herring recalled. “Everybody still wanted to attack him.”

When Herring, a 28-year-old father of two, had an opportunity to reflect on what had transpired, he was admittedly stunned.

It wasn’t until police placed the man in a squad car that the still-agitated crowd finally became calm and slowly dispersed.

“First of all, I couldn’t believe the driver of the vehicle started shooting,” he said. “Then, when I told him to put down the weapon, and he immediately complied, I was shocked. I also was relieved, because that definitely made things easier.”

Herring attributed his actions to the training he – and all members of the NJDOC custody staff – has received from the Department.

“The first thing I realized is that this really is a 24-7 job,” he stated. “Four years ago, before I worked for the Department of Corrections, it would have been a different, a lot different. If it wasn’t for the training, I probably would have run, or I would have gotten shot.

“It was a difficult situation on several levels, but I’m glad I was able to help.”

Matt Schuman is a former newspaper reporter and editor who serves as the Public Information Office for the NJ Department of Corrections. He has been with NJDOC since 2000.


Comments:

  1. YoungHope on 04/15/2020:

    Each day is a new canvas to paint upon. Make sure your picture is full of life and happiness, and at the end of the day you don’t look at it and wish you had painted something different. I believe you will make the right choice>> geometry dash

  2. BexoPackaging on 03/31/2020:

    custom retail boxes provides unlimited advantages. Easy customization and printing. A unique and attractive packaging solution. Open choice of material. Offers flexibility. Act as a strong marketing tool.

  3. hamiltonlindley on 03/18/2020:

    Hamilton loves his family of five and badminton. His favorite sports ball team is the McGregor Dodgeballers. He has worked as a foreman on a chain gang, and later in life he was an architect of skyscrapers and tunnels. He was forced to give up his career because he was terrible at math. Hamilton has a keen attention to detail. He enjoyed watching bowling on TV and spent most every weekend on the couch falling asleep. He was a demon at croquet. He also enjoyed war movies and baking shows. Hamilton Lindley is constantly helping others less fortunate and lending a helping hand for relatives and friends in need of encouraging words. He coaches different sports and provided guidance for people who needed it, and a few who didn’t want it.

  4. evelynsofi on 02/17/2020:

    Your blog provided us with valuable information to work with. Each & every tips of your post are awesome. Thanks a lot for sharing. Keep blogging, mattress sale

  5. evelynsofi on 02/17/2020:

    Thanks for another excellent post. Where else could anybody get that type of info in such an ideal way of writing? In my opinion, my seeking has ended now eli and elm

  6. evelynsofi on 02/17/2020:

    First You got a great blog .I will be interested in more similar topics. i see you got really very useful topics, i will be always checking your blog thanks. live and sleep mattress

  7. evelynsofi on 02/17/2020:

    Thanks for sharing this valuable content. In my view, if all webmasters and bloggers made good content as you did, the web will be a lot more useful than ever before. diamond mattress

  8. millie.david6 on 12/05/2019:

    Our Custom Hair Extension Packaging are used for a variety of products with convenient handling, healthy storage and easy transportation. Recall your business by printing your Extension name, logo and more tempering technique.

  9. William Smith on 08/07/2019:

    One My friend told me about this website for purchasing Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin I personally really like your blog where all of shaving tools listed and their qualities are mentioned. I thank you so much for providing me this opportunity. Good luck.

  10. Julia Robert on 05/17/2019:

    relationadvisors.com is best place to read interesting articles about tips that will helpful Is it possible to stop a divorce from Happening? In the USA. thank you so much for this kindness

  11. Jason Roy on 05/09/2019:

    I admit, I have not been on this web page in a long time... however it was another joy to see It is such an important topic and ignored by so many, even professionals. professionals. I thank you to help making people more aware of possible issues. I am impressed. I don't think I've met anyone who knows as much about this subject as you do. You are truly well informed and very intelligent. You wrote something that people could understand and made the subject intriguing for everyone. Really, great blog you have got here. Custom Hair Extension Packaging USA

  12. Jason Roy on 05/01/2019:

    This is really a wonderful and spreading most accurate information regarding Printed Packaging Boxes Wholesale. People of the USA most often visit this blog and get complete information about custom Product Packaging. I admire your efforts to spreading such a great innovative information.

  13. Jason Roy on 04/03/2019:

    Thank you again. custom kraft boxes

  14. Jason Roy on 04/03/2019:

    Great to know that this blog is just like a family and some of them are good enough to understand all the shared topics. I am impressed with the quality you have given to your readers. Thank You

  15. Blakenson on 03/06/2019:

    Investigation of various books and subjects is a sort of nourishment for people. Along these lines we can expand our positive musings. Investigation of various books can likewise expand our capacities in the field of proessayreviews.com. Such sorts of web journals ought to be partaken in various gatherings for learning.

  16. Rosee Peter on 03/01/2019:

    Officer Herring handled the situation very wisely and calmly and in the best manner possible. Luckily, the man who had the gun complied to his plea of getting rid of the firearm. I wanted to know what why was he being attacked by other men?professional paper writers


Login to let us know what you think

User Name:   

Password:       


Forgot password?





correctsource logo




Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of The Corrections Connection User Agreement
The Corrections Connection ©. Copyright 1996 - 2024 © . All Rights Reserved | 15 Mill Wharf Plaza Scituate Mass. 02066 (617) 471 4445 Fax: (617) 608 9015