US
cop
hugs
ma
battli g
me tal
health
c isis.
A
Met o
Nashville
police
lieute a t
is
bei g
c edited
with
savi g
a
ma ‘s
life
afte
talki g
him
out
of
jumpi g
f om
a
b idge
ove
the
Cumbe la d
Rive .
The
te se
e cou te
o
the
Victo y
Memo ial
B idge
e ded
with
the
ma
steppi g
away
f om
the
ledge
a d
emb aci g
the
office
who
had
spe t
seve al
mi utes
simply
liste i g
to
him.Acco di g
to
News
Cha el
5,
the
i cide t
took
place
o
July
23
afte
the
ma
bega
livest eami g
o li e
a d
said
he
pla ed
to
jump
f om
the
b idge.Lieute a t
Mike
Hotz,
a
membe
of
Met o
Nashville
Police
Depa tme t’s
c isis
egotiatio
team,
espo ded
to
the
sce e.Rathe
tha
ushi g
towa d
the
ma
o
t yi g
to
physically
i te ve e,
Hotz
bega
talki g
to
him.
He
told
the
ma
he
wa ted
to
help
him
get
th ough
what
he
desc ibed
as
the
wo st
day
of
his
life.
The
app oach
appea ed
to
slowly
b eak
th ough
the
ma ‘s
esista ce.
As
the
co ve satio
co ti ued,
Hotz
moved
close ,
eve tually
ea i g
e ough
t ust
fo
the
ma
to
step
away
f om
the
edge.The
two
the
shook
ha ds
befo e
the
ma
hugged
Hotz.
‘You
a e
loved
he e’
‘You
a e
loved
he e’
Hotz,
a
combat
vete a ,
said
his
ow
expe ie ces
with
fellow
se vice
membe s
helped
shape
the
way
he
app oached
the
c isis.”We
vete a s
a e
disp opo tio ately
affected
by
suicide
a d
me tal
health
issues,”
Hotz
said,
explai i g
that
he
had
e cou te ed
seve al
fellow
vete a s
du i g
mome ts
of
c isis.
He
said
he
d ew
o
those
expe ie ces
to
co ect
with
the
ma
i
f o t
of
him
a d
focus
e ti ely
o
helpi g
him
each
a
safe
esolutio .The
e cou te
also
eflected
Hotz’s
belief
that
helpi g
people
th ough
difficult
mome ts
is
at
the
hea t
of
police
wo k.
At
o e
poi t,
he
told
the
ma :
“I
just
wa t
you
to
feel
like
you
a e
loved
he e
because
you
a e.”
Ma
ope s
up
about
his
st uggles
Ma
ope s
up
about
his
st uggles
The
ma ,
ide tified
as
44-yea -old
Ga y
Butle ,
late
desc ibed
how
he
had
eached
the
b idge
believi g
it
would
be
his
fi al
day.News
Cha el
5
epo ted
that
Butle
said
he
had
stopped
to
get
a
th ee-piece
chicke
meal
a d
had
decided
it
would
be
his
last
meal.
He
said
he
spe t
about
15
mi utes
co templati g
what
to
do
befo e
hea i g
Hotz
speak
to
him.Butle
i itially
wa ed
office s
ot
to
come
close ,
sayi g
he
would
jump
if
they
app oached.As
Hotz
co ti ued
talki g,
Butle
ope ed
up
about
bei g
homeless
a d
st uggli g
to
affo d
his
me tal
health
medicatio .
Rathe
tha
judgi g
him,
Butle
said,
the
lieute a t
liste ed
a d
offe ed
to
help.”I’ve
had
o
o e
to
talk
to
o
talk
to
me,”
Butle
ecalled.Butle
eve tually
stepped
away
f om
the
b idge.
Hotz
told
him,
“I
love
you.
It’s
goi g
to
be
al ight.”Weeks
afte
the
i cide t,
Butle
said
he
was
g ateful
to
be
alive.
He
had
fou d
tempo a y
housi g,
obtai ed
his
medicatio
a d
was
seei g
a
the apist.
A
ca ee
built
a ou d
helpi g
people
A
ca ee
built
a ou d
helpi g
people
Hotz
has
se ved
with
the
Met opolita
Nashville
Police
Depa tme t
si ce
2010
a d
has
wo ked
i
seve al
assig me ts,
i cludi g
pat ol,
a cotics
a d
specialized
i vestigatio s.He
was
p omoted
to
lieute a t
i
2025
a d
cu e tly
se ves
with
the
depa tme t’s
Ove dose
U it.
Befo e
joi i g
the
police
depa tme t,
Hotz
se ved
i
the
US
A my
i fa t y
a d
was
deployed
to
Afgha ista
a d
I aq.
He
was
awa ded
the
Pu ple
Hea t
afte
bei g
wou ded
i
combat.Hotz
also
helped
develop
Nashville’s
O e
Box
p og amme,
which
has
placed
ove dose- eve sal
kits
at
mo e
tha
500
locatio s
ac oss
the
city,
i cludi g
ba s
a d
othe
public
ve ues.His
wo k
ea ed
him
the
DEA’s
Excelle ce
i
P otectio
Awa d
at
a
summit
i
O la do.The
b idge
e cou te
showed
the
impo ta ce
of
ope i g
up
a d
havi g
difficult
co ve satio s
du i g
a
c isis,
showi g
how
timely
suppo t
ca
help
save
a
life.
