Fremont police turned to a recovering addict to help people in crisis. He has become invaluable. - Flatwater Free Press

Fremont police turned to a recovering addict to help people in crisis. He has become invaluable. - Flatwater Free Press

FREMONT — Jon Thomsen stood in the doorway of a Fremont home, offering calming words and open ears. Moments earlier, the man inside the home had threatened to kill his family and himself.  Thomsen had rushed to the scene to ensure that wouldn’t happen. Thomsen isn’t a cop, and he’s not a licensed therapist. He is a peer support specialist. In recent years, police departments across Nebraska and beyond have increasingly turned to mental health pr…