New Jersey Cop Brandishes a Short Film

As a law enforcement officer, Paul J. Williams' credentials are impeccable. He received the Medal of Honor for his work with the Newark police corps, the highest such city commendation; he worked as a federal agent with the U.S. Department of Justice; and he was among the first responders at Ground Zero on 9/11.

More recently, Williams has shifted gears, working for the past five years with Morris County park police and dabbling in the cinematic arts. On June 29th, he directed his first short film, Stable, and not surprisingly, it has a number of police-related components.

The ten-minute drama is about a police officer contemplating suicide. There are only three actors in the film, but one of the roles—that of a SWAT officer—is played by Williams' Morris County co-worker Robert Kranz.

Tying into a very serious issue

The plan for Williams following post-production is to get the short out to film festivals while continuing to work on feature-length screenplays. He is also looking to raise $1,000 on IndieGoGo.com to take care of some residual Stable costs. Explains Williams in his posting:

The suicide rate amongst law enforcement officers is double that of the general public. Every year, more law enforcement officers die by suicide than die in the line of duty. And the numbers are rising.

By sheer coincidence, Clint Eastwood has just been named honorary chairman of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and Museum in Washington D.C., an institution that Williams has sourced for promotional imagery. Perhaps this enterprising cop can somehow send Eastwood a copy of the short, through the organization, for the legendary Oscar winner's consideration.