‘You are loved’: US cop hugs man battling mental health crisis, talks him out of jumping off bridge

US cop hugs man battling mental health crisis. 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 h...