Hicks and the man in distress spoke for a few minutes, and then the he agreed to come to the other side of the bridge railing. That’s when the officer hugged the man for quite some time before walking him back to the car.

Hicks said he tried not to focus on what could happen in the situation – the man could fall or jump, hurting himself or others driving beneath the bridge – saying he tried to relate to the man as a person, not as a police officer.

Officer Hicks is a hero.