Warminster Cops Talk Down Woman With Knife: VIDEO

WARMINSTER, PA — Police in Warminster are touting a recent interaction with a woman wielding a knife as a win for officer training on how to handle tense situations with people in distress.

In a video shared by the Warminster Township Police Department, at least two officers spend an hour talking down the woman, who had reportedly threatened to harm herself. The video is edited for time and blurred to protect the woman's identity.

Warminster officers were called at about 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 1 to a home where there was a report of a woman in distress and threatening to harm herself. When they arrived, they found the woman in the yard, holding a large kitchen knife.

"We're going to get past this together," one of the officers can be heard saying to the woman, who was pacing, crying and apologizing to the officers, even while wielding the knife.

Eventually, the woman agrees to go to a local clinic, after being assured police don't plan to put her in jail.

"Anything we're going to do is to get you help for issues you have right now," an officer says. "I have no interest in sending you to jail. Jail's not going to help you."

In 2017, Warminster Police officials "identified de-escalation techniques as an important part of the future of policing," according to a news release. Officers received regular training in de-escalation and crisis intervention from department and county instructors as well as other professional groups, the release said.

De-escalation is a method of trying to defuse difficult interactions with citizens, with the goal of using a minimum level of force, while crisis intervention is a specialized police curriculum aimed at reducing the risk of serious injury or death during interactions with people showing mental distress.

"Since then, Warminster Police have emphasized de-escalation in order to help prevent tragic situations and promote safety in the community," the release said.

To take a look at the video, click here.