Atlanta, GA
How an Atlanta police officer was able to convince knife-wielding woman not to harm herself
Officer seen on camera calming woman in crisis
She was along the Chattahoochee River, holding a knife to her chest. That is where Atlanta Police Officer Harding stepped in. What happened next will be studied by other officers for years.
ATLANTA – Atlanta police released video on Friday of one of their officers successfully talking a woman down from hurting herself, as she had a knife pressed against her own chest.
“Put the knife down for me and grab my hand,” APD Officer Harding can be heard saying on his bodycam video.
He was trying desperately to talk a woman down from hurting herself as she holds a knife against her chest, seemingly ready to stab herself.
“I don’t want you to hurt yourself, you’re precious, you’re a precious human being,” Officer Harding tells the woman on the video.
On June 27, Officer Harding responded to the call of a missing woman being spotted at around 11:30 a.m. at an address along Paces Ferry Road.
She had been reported missing by her family only an hour before.
Once he encounters the woman sitting along the Chattahoochee River, he immediately tries to make her feel safe.
“I’m serious, there’s too many people that love you. I’m here to help you,” he says to her.
“I was so impressed and so moved by watching this officer have such compassion for this woman who was clearly in incredible pain,” said Atlanta psychotherapist Laura Morse after she watched the video.
She says the way Officer Harding starts the encounter with the woman was key.
“He chose to engage her personally, to let her know that he saw her, that he knew that she was in trouble, that he cared about her,” Morse said.
At one point, Harding says to her, “God loves you, we love you.”
Later, Harding sits down in front of her before continuing to talk to her, essentially slowing down the whole interaction.
“He provided hope for her, and he was patient. He waited for her to come around instead of forcing an agenda or charging her,” said Cori Ross, LCSW.
Ross says the officer’s patient approach not only calmed the woman down, but also allowed him to act calmly.
“So, by slowing it down, he creates calm in his body, he’s able to access his rational brain, get in touch with the situation, not feel threatened,” Ross said.
These two experts say his approach is what eventually allowed Harding to get her to surrender the knife and climb off the riverbank.
“Can I have the knife? Let me have the knife. Let me have it, thank you!” he says to her as she hands him the large knife.
Even after making her safe, Harding continues to reassure her.
At one point she calls herself “a failure.” However, Harding reassures her and tells her “God doesn’t make failures.”
Eventually he gets her to paramedics and mental health clinicians who are standing by.
“It is everything that you hope an interaction would be when it’s regarding mental illness or mental health issues,” Morse said.
Officer Harding has been with APD since 2009.
The Department says what he did relates to their de-escalation training, which officers have to complete annually.
Both Morse and Ross say they hope law enforcement agencies will learn from this interaction.
ATLANTA — After listing outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter and wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge as questionable on Friday’s game report, the Falcons made a final decision on the two prior to Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.
Both were given the all-clear after working through injuries this week. Carter was listed on the injury report as having a groin injury, while Hodge was listed as having a ribs injury.
Because of Hodge’s active status, the Falcons decided to keep practice squad receiver Dylan Drummond inactive after using a standard practice squad elevation on him Saturday. On the same day, the Falcons signed fellow receiver Chris Blair to the active roster. So, the Falcons have good depth at receiver heading into Michael Penix Jr.’s first career start.
Here is the full list of Falcons’ inactives for Week 16:
The offseason continues to move on as the Braves stay quiet for now. Today was the flurry of first base movement, which fortunately didn’t impact the Braves, who have no opening at first base or designated hitter. It is hard not to get antsy watching players move all over the place in the offseason where the Braves opened up a bunch of money to do something but have yet to do anything of note. I do maintain that something (probably multiple things) of note will happen, but it is frustrating to see options dwindle and players move. All of that said, my preference coming into the offseason was signing Ha-Seong Kim, a viable starter, and a viable outfielder. I have begun to suspect that a trade is going to be the pathway to at least one of those holes and Kim is still out there. Time will tell and all we can do is try to remain patient. Plenty of time remains before Spring Training and the season begin.
Braves News
Demetrius reviewed Austin Riley’s rollercoaster of a 2024 season, that featured underperformance, quality production, and injury at various times.
Gaurav took a look at prospect Mitch Farris’ impressive 2024 season, as the 13th round pick of the Braves’ 2023 draft.
MLB News
Baseball icon and Hall-of-Famer Rickey Henderson died of pneumonia on Saturday at the age of 65.
Cleveland traded first baseman Josh Naylor to the D-Backs for pitcher Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance round B pick.
The Guardians signed Carlos Santana, just after dumping a different first baseman in Naylor to Arizona.
Negotiations between the Dodgers and Teoscar Hernandez do not appear to be moving and the Dodgers are reportedly looking into alternatives.
The Yankees signed former MVP Paul Goldschmidt to a one year deal worth $12.5 million to fill their hole at first base.
Man shot, robbed on the way to work speaks out
FOX 5 Atlanta is hearing from the man who was shot when robbers took his electric bike and backpack. It happened early Monday morning near Hiawassee Drive in Southwest Atlanta, and police say the suspects haven’t been caught.
ATLANTA – FOX 5 Atlanta heard from the man who was shot when robbers took his electric bike and backpack. It happened early Monday morning near Hiawassee Drive in Southwest Atlanta, and police say the suspects haven’t been caught.
“I have nightmares and stuff like that. I can’t sleep,” Renard Sullivan said.
Sullivan said he is still trying to figure out how to move forward after he was shot and robbed while heading to work.
“All of a sudden, out of nowhere, the car came up behind me just saying, ‘Stop. Give me everything you want,’” Sullivan explained.
Just before 6 a.m. Monday morning, two masked men in a sedan approached Sullivan and took his electric bike and backpack, according to Atlanta police. Afterward, Sullivan said one of the men shot him in his leg.
“It’s like I looked down, and I got shot. Then, I called 911,” he explained.
Sullivan said the route he took on Monday was a common way for him to get to work, and he doesn’t know who could be behind this.
“I don’t mess with nobody. I just go and do what I got to do. Work, you know what I’m saying? Do a little work out there at the gas station,” he said.
Sullivan’s siblings said the electric bike was his main form of transportation. This was also not the first time something like this has happened to him. Sullivan said someone tried to take his e-bike from him a few months ago before his son intervened.
Atlanta police have not yet named any suspects nor have they announced arrests in Sullivan’s case. He said he wants the men who did this behind bars.
“Get them off the street, so they don’t do it to nobody else,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan’s family has started a GoFundMe campaign to help him get back on his feet.
The Source: FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Kim Leoffler spoke to Renard Sullivan for this article which follows up on a previous FOX 5 Atlanta report.
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