Nashville officer talks man out of jumping off bridge: ‘I love you, it’s gonna be alright’

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: A Nashville police lieutenant chose compassion over force when he found a man in crisis on a bridge ledge and slowly earned his trust.

Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Lt Mike Hotz was called to Victory Memorial Bridge on July 23 after officers received reports that a man was in danger of jumping.

What followed was a deeply emotional conversation that ended with a handshake, a hug and the man stepping away from the ledge.

Mike Hotz approaches Nashville bridge crisis with compassion

Hotz did not rush toward the man or try to overwhelm him with demands. Instead, he introduced himself and calmly asked if they could talk.

"Hey man, my name's Mike. Can I just holler at you?" Hotz said. He then made it clear that he was there to listen rather than pressure him.

"I just want to help you talk through this, this worst day of your life. And I know it is," Hotz told him.

The conversation was personal for Hotz, who previously served on Metro Nashville's Crisis Negotiation Team and is also a military combat veteran. He said his experiences with fellow service members facing mental health crises shaped the way he approached the man.

"He cried several times with just absolute frustration," Hotz recalled. "Having been a military combat veteran, unfortunately I've had more experiences than I can count with the brothers that I served with overseas going through mental crisis and having s**cidal thoughts."

Nashville police lieutenant earns man's trust

As the two continued talking, Hotz focused on building trust rather than forcing an immediate decision.

"I'm not gonna try nothing crazy. I promise you to the Lord himself. Can I shake your hand?" he asked. The man accepted.

That small moment helped change the situation. He stepped away from the edge and moved toward officers who were waiting to help him. "I love you. It's gonna be alright," Hotz told him.

The handshake then became a hug. "We're here to love you, bro. We're here to love you."

For Hotz, the embrace was more than just the final moment of a tense rescue. He believed it showed that the man had finally begun to trust the people around him.

"I think at the end, when he hugged me, I think it was a release of all their emotions and just realizing that they were going to trust us to get them the help they need," Hotz said.

Mike Hotz urges people to have difficult conversations

Once the man was safely in the care of first responders and counselors, Hotz stepped away from the scene.

He said he offered a short prayer and felt grateful to have been there at that moment. "At the end of that call, I kind of stepped away from the officers and the counselors that were on scene and kind of just said a short prayer and thanked God for having me in the right place at the right time. And I just feel very fortunate."

Hotz also hopes the incident encourages people to pay closer attention to friends and family members who may be struggling.

"And just know that you can have those uncomfortable conversations and ask people how they're doing. And that's gonna help you help your friends and family get the help that they need."

His work extends beyond crisis calls. Hotz recently received the DEA's Excellence in Protection Award after creating Nashville's ONEbox program, which has placed overdose reversal kits at more than 500 locations across the city, including bars and other public places.