Police Officer Saves Suicidal Man And Tells Him He Loves Him

A police officer has been commended for saving a suicidal man from the edge of a building, telling him he loves him.

The Atlantic City Police Department received a call about a man who was stood on the edge of a parking lot on 14 October. They raced to the scene and found him at around 9pm - he was on FaceTime to someone at the time.

Officer Eric Knuttel, a member of Crisis Negotiation Team, managed to engage the man in conversation in the hope of talking him down.

The officer reportedly spoke to him for about 10 minutes. It was touch and go as the man began to edge closer to the side of the building.

Officer Knuttel managed to move in and grab the man's leg to stop him from jumping off. Other officers moved in to help both men back to safety.

He was then sat on the floor with the officers surrounding him, hugging him. The person on FaceTime was shouting franticly, with one officer saying: "It's going to be alright."

The man says something that can't be made out, to which Knuttel responds, saying: "I can't because I love you, alright? I love you."

The person on FaceTime who knew the man could be heard saying: "Do not hurt him."

The officer then replies, saying: "We're not going to hurt him."

The department has said how proud it is of the officers.

Interim Officer-in-Charge James Sarkos has praised the officers involved, particularly Officer Knuttel.

Atlantic City Police

In a message on the department's Facebook, he said: "I am extremely proud of the bravery and compassion shown by Officer Knuttel and the other officers for this man who was in severe emotional distress. Their actions are indicative of the work routinely done by members of this police department.

"For years, the Atlantic City Police Department has taken a proactive approach when it comes to the mental health of our residents and visitors by partnering with social service organizations and providing training to our officers.

"Following the incident, the man was transported to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Division, for an evaluation."

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MIND: 0300 123 3393.

Samaritans: 116 123.

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Topics: UOKM8, Interesting

Amelia Ward

Amelia is a journalist at LADbible. After studying journalism at Liverpool John Moores and Salford Uni (don't ask), she went into PR and then the world of music. She spent a few years working on festivals and events before joining LADbible. In her spare time, Amelia likes music and spending good, quality time with her cat, Paul. You can contact Amelia at [email protected].

@ameliasward