LACY LAKEVIEW, Texas — Oftentimes, men and women in law enforcement are forced to make split-second decisions that can have huge implications.
One Lacy Lakeview police officer who responded to a mental health call last month knows that firsthand.
Ofc. Remington Harrison is no stranger to law enforcement: both of his parents worked for Waco police growing up.
“When I got older, I got to do ride along with them. To see what they did on a daily occurrence, the passion, and they inspired that passion to me," says Harrison.
Day-to-day patrols can mean pretty much anything these days.
“It can be anything from helping a citizen to assault or family violence. There’s really not a typical day,” he says.
In early November, after he just wrapped up a long and grueling shift, Harrison got a call from another officer about a barricaded subject suffering a mental health crisis.
The patrol officer didn't flinch.
“There were firearms in the house. The guy wanted to talk to me. I came back up there, got there in time, talked to him and got him to come out of the house," says Harrison.
Turns out, Harrison already knew the man having established a relationship with him during previous calls.
“I spent a couple hours with him. During that time, you got to talk on a more personal level. We talked human to human, we got that connection,” says the officer.
The connection proved invaluable, as the man was able to eventually get help without anyone getting hurt.
“We got to get him help, [and] my guys, everyone went home safe," says Harrison.
First to the Fight is an ongoing series where 25 News profiles first responders in Central Texas that go above and beyond to help their communities.
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