Off-Duty LAPD Officer May Have Saved a LIfe
Officer Jarrett intervened when a confrontation became violent at a restaurant
Friday, Jul 8, 2011 | Updated 7:42 AM PDT
KNBC
Joseph Jarrett, less than two years on the LAPD, is being called a hero.
Officer Joseph Jarrett is practically a rookie. He hasn't had his second anniversary yet with the Los Angeles Police Department, and already he's being called a hero.
What's more remarkable, he doesn't even work the street. He's currently assigned to jail duty.
"I honestly think I just did what any LAPD officer, or any law enforcement officer from anywhere would do," said a humble Jarrett.
On the night of July 1, Jarrett and his wife were having dinner at Milk Restaurant on Beverly Boulevard, when he witnessed a confrontation that became more and more heated.
A kitchen worker at the restaurant was being confronted by a man later identified as her foe in a bitter custody dispute. Jarrett says the man eventually cornered the woman in the kitchen and pulled out a 10-inch knife.
"It took a couple of seconds to figure out what was going on," remembered Jarrett. "I drew my off duty gun, went into the kitchen, identified myself and started yelling at the suspect to drop the knife. He looked at me and dropped it pretty quickly. And then I just kind of held on to him until an on duty unit was able to respond and take him into custody."
Jarrett says he was just doing his job and all that training he went through came back to him automatically. His career as an LAPD officer is off to a good start.
