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Off-Duty Camden County Police Officer Saves Woman In NYC

By Mike DeNardo

CAMDEN COUNTY (CBS) -- An off-duty Camden County police officer was in the right place at the right time Sunday, when he saved a woman being attacked in New York City.

Camden County police officer Ryan Dubiel was in New York on a vacation day. He'd been to the 9/11 Memorial and he saw "Jersey Boys" on stage. He said he was walking near West 55th Street and 10th Avenue, when he saw an irate man yelling and running in and out of traffic, the man then attacked a woman on the sidewalk.

"As soon as he charged at her and was running at her, that's when I reacted because he appeared to be going after her specifically because there was nobody else on the sidewalk," said officer Dubiel. "And then as soon as he grabbed her and threw her to the ground on the sidewalk and she was screaming, that's when I knew he was trying to do her harm."

Dubiel said he announced himself as a police officer, drew his weapon, and subdued the man until the NYPD arrived. The woman suffered only scrapes to her hand. The 26-year-old Dubiel, a five-year police veteran, said he used his training in "verbal judo" to de-escalate the situation.

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