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Cliffside Park officer talks disturbed woman with knife out of apartment

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: A Cliffside Park police officer talked an emotionally disturbed woman out of her apartment last night after she barricaded the door and held a knife to her throat.

Photo Credit: Cliffview Pilot File Photo

The woman was taken to Bergen Regional Medical Center for an evaluation after Officer John O’Toole convinced her to open the door of the Anderson Avenue apartment and give him the knife.

Cliffside Park police went to investigate a 911 hangup call around 5:10 last night and found family members who said the 43-year-old woman had locked the door and was holding a knife to her throat, Police Chief Donald Keane told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.

“Obviously they were very concerned,” he said.

While O’Toole talked with her through the door, other officers took up positions.

Two of them got onto a roof next door and, looking through a window, saw her holding the knife, the chief said.

Other officers who heard the call arrived — including detectives, an off-duty officer, and even Keane himself.

After roughly 40 minutes of talking, she opened the door, he said.

“It was a great job by Officer O’Toole and the supporting team members,” Keane said. “They saved a life and nobody got hurt.”

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