Lynbrook Police Officer Jean-Claude James was beginning a routine night shift when he spotted something that didn’t look right along Sunrise Highway.
James was traveling west shortly after beginning his 7 p.m. shift on May 23, 2024, when he noticed a disturbance across the road near Ryu’s Martial Arts. He turned his patrol vehicle around to investigate and learned from a man at the scene that another man had threatened him with a knife.
James saw the armed man standing on the sidewalk near the martial arts school, where classes were underway.
“My immediate concern was for the safety of any bystanders or students in the martial arts school,” James said.
Before leaving his patrol vehicle, James notified police headquarters of the disturbance. Once outside, he drew his Taser and repeatedly ordered the man to drop the knife while using his radio to alert other officers.
The man eventually complied. James secured the knife, and with another officer arriving to assist, took him into custody without anyone being injured.
Lynbrook Police Chief Brian Paladino said what stood out was that James had not been dispatched to the incident. He noticed the confrontation while checking his post and stopped to investigate on his own.
“He didn’t wait to be called,” Paladino said. “He went out and checked things and found something awry, and took matters into his own hands.”
Paladino said James recognized that the man appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis and worked to de-escalate the situation despite the presence of the knife. Although the circumstances could have justified a greater use of force, Paladino said, James instead relied on verbal commands and his presence as an officer.
“He used his command presence and his voice,” Paladino said. “The guy was taken into custody without injury.”
The man was arrested on a menacing charge and was also taken for mental health care and evaluation, according to Paladino.
James, a Lindenhurst native, graduated from John Jay College with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He joined the New York Police Department in 2014, working in the 71st Precinct before transferring to the Lynbrook Police Department in 2018. James said he had admired and respected police officers while growing up, which helped lead him to a career in law enforcement.
Paladino later nominated James for state recognition for his response to the incident, and James was recognized by Gov. Kathy Hochul. At the Lynbrook Village Board’s Sept. 14 meeting, Mayor Alan Beach also recognized James for his response and his efforts to de-escalate the confrontation.
“I really appreciated being recognized by my department and especially the village board,” James said. “It’s a really good feeling to know that the village board and the Lynbrook residents fully support their police officers.”
James said he was especially grateful that the confrontation ended peacefully.
“The very last thing we want is to be put in a position where we might have to use deadly physical force on someone,” he said. “I’m grateful that it did not come down to that, and my training, with some luck, paid off.”
