‘You are loved’: US cop hugs man battling mental health crisis, talks him out of jumping off bridge
A Metro Nashville police lieutenant is being credited with saving a man’s life after talking him out of jumping from a bridge over the Cumberland River. The tense encounter on the Victory Memorial Bridge ended with the man stepping away from the ledge and embracing the officer who had spent several minutes simply listening to him.According to News Channel 5, the incident took place on July 23 after the man began livestreaming online and said he planned to jump from the bridge.Lieutenant Mike Hotz, a member of Metro Nashville Police Department’s crisis negotiation team, responded to the scene.Rather than rushing toward the man or trying to physically intervene, Hotz began talking to him. He told the man he wanted to help him get through what he described as the worst day of his life.The approach appeared to slowly break through the man’s resistance. As the conversation continued, Hotz moved closer, eventually earning enough trust for the man to step away from the edge.The two then shook hands before the man hugged Hotz.
‘You are loved here’
Hotz, a combat veteran, said his own experiences with fellow service members helped shape the way he approached the crisis.“We veterans are disproportionately affected by suicide and mental health issues,” Hotz said, explaining that he had encountered several fellow veterans during moments of crisis.He said he drew on those experiences to connect with the man in front of him and focus entirely on helping him reach a safe resolution.The encounter also reflected Hotz’s belief that helping people through difficult moments is at the heart of police work. At one point, he told the man: “I just want you to feel like you are loved here because you are.”
Man opens up about his struggles
The man, identified as 44-year-old Gary Butler, later described how he had reached the bridge believing it would be his final day.News Channel 5 reported that Butler said he had stopped to get a three-piece chicken meal and had decided it would be his last meal. He said he spent about 15 minutes contemplating what to do before hearing Hotz speak to him.Butler initially warned officers not to come closer, saying he would jump if they approached.As Hotz continued talking, Butler opened up about being homeless and struggling to afford his mental health medication. Rather than judging him, Butler said, the lieutenant listened and offered to help.“I’ve had no one to talk to or talk to me,” Butler recalled.Butler eventually stepped away from the bridge. Hotz told him, “I love you. It’s going to be alright.”Weeks after the incident, Butler said he was grateful to be alive. He had found temporary housing, obtained his medication and was seeing a therapist.
A career built around helping people
Hotz has served with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department since 2010 and has worked in several assignments, including patrol, narcotics and specialized investigations.He was promoted to lieutenant in 2025 and currently serves with the department’s Overdose Unit. Before joining the police department, Hotz served in the US Army infantry and was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. He was awarded the Purple Heart after being wounded in combat.Hotz also helped develop Nashville’s One Box programme, which has placed overdose-reversal kits at more than 500 locations across the city, including bars and other public venues.His work earned him the DEA’s Excellence in Protection Award at a summit in Orlando.The bridge encounter showed the importance of opening up and having difficult conversations during a crisis, showing how timely support can help save a life.
