Officer Jason Inacio has responded to hundreds of suicide calls during his tenure at the Newark Emergency Services Unit, but few have been solved by buying Chinese food.

“He said he was hungry and wanted Chinese food,” Inacio said Monday afternoon. “So we gave someone $20 and I told him, ‘I’ll let you eat on the way to the hospital.’"

Authorities responded to a call on the 100 block of Livingston Street Saturday morning after a family member told dispatchers that the 38-year-old man was suicidal.

When Inacio and his squadmates arrived, they found the man in his bedroom with a knife to his throat, saying he wanted to die by suicide and had taken drugs. They started talking with him to build a positive negotiation, Inacio said.

“We talked to him, we just wanted to figure out where he was coming from and reassure him,” he said. “The only reason we’re there is to help him and try to comfort him.”

About 20 minutes into negotiating, the man put the knife down and put his hand in the drawer claiming he had a gun, Inacio recalled. The police officers’ worries escalated, he said, and they took more precaution since he could hurt others in the home.

Suddenly, Inacio said, the man admitted he was hungry.

A family member ran down the street with the $20 another officer gave them and bought back a hearty chicken and broccoli bowl, he said. Police used the food to negotiate and take the Newark man to a local hospital, after a handshake.

Inacio rode with the man in the ambulance on their way to University Hospital. They chatted about baseball — they’re both Yankees fans — and let the man enjoy his food.

“I like to always keep my promises,” Inacio said. “If I promise something, I want to follow through with my promise. And in this case, I promised him the Chinese food if he came with us.”

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night, or chat online.

Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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