A police officer spotted a stranger standing on the edge of the Victory Memorial Bridge in Nashville, ready to jump. But the officer’s thoughtful response saved him.
Metro Nashville Police Lieutenant Mike Hotz has spent years working suicide prevention and overdose response for the police department, but on July 23 his job turned into something much more personal.
A man was standing on the Victory Memorial Bridge over the Cumberland River. He was live streaming himself online and saying he planned to jump.
Lieutenant Hotz walked up slowly and calmly. “Hey man, my name’s Mike,” he said. “Can I just holler at you?” He didn’t lecture the man or order him around. He just talked to him like a person, and he listened.
Hotz has trained with Metro’s Crisis Negotiation Team for years, so he knew what he was doing. But he said this one hit him different, because he’s a combat veteran himself, and he recognized the pain the man was carrying. He said he’s lost count of how many soldiers he served with overseas who went through the same kind of suicidal crisis.
Little by little the man started to trust him. “I’m not gonna try nothing crazy,” Hotz told him. “I promise you to the Lord himself. Can I shake your hand?” Then he said something simple. “I love you. It’s gonna be alright.”
The man stepped back from the edge and the handshake turned into a hug.
Afterward Hotz stepped away by himself for a minute. He said he said a short prayer and thanked God for putting him in the right place at the right time.
“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.” Hotz said.
I have to say, that part stuck with me the most out of the whole story.
Mental health cases are rapidly rising in every country on the planet. In the U.S alone, approximately 23.4% of adults are living with a mental health condition. That is about 61.5 million people in numbers. The most shocking part is that over 1 in 3 young adults (ages 18-25) battle with mental health issues according to SAMHSA.
Why is this happening so much? I think a big reason is that they carry their burdens all alone. They have no one to talk to. No one they really trust. And worst of all, many of them think there is no one to love them or care for them.
Governments and campuses are conducting awareness programs and counseling to help, and these are good and needed. But I don’t think those things alone can give a permanent solution that heals the soul.
This world needs Jesus more than ever. Only He can heal our weary souls and give us the peace that lasts forever. Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
This is the promise Jesus Himself gives to us. When we surrender ourselves to Him, He breaks our chains.
If you know someone struggling in your neighborhood with mental health issues, just give them a visit. Sit with them, listen to them. Talk to them about how much Jesus loves them and pray for them.
It might be that this visit becomes a turning point in their life. And if they are in real danger, walk them toward professional help too, a counselor, a doctor, a crisis line.
WATCH: Nashville Officer’s Simple Act Of Love Saves A Man From Jumping Off A Bridge
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