Police officer's kindness under pressure saved this suicidal man's life

Sadly, numerous videos online showcase the questionable treatment of citizens by police officers, sometimes escalating to outright brutality. Calls for police reform have echoed for decades, and demands for sweeping changes to America's police force have surged nationwide.

Law enforcement reform advocates continuously seek alternative and effective policing methods, which may explain why this squad of officers is receiving so much praise.

A video from Ceara, Brazil, depicts a harrowing scene: an emotionally distressed man squatting outside a building, clearly in anguish.

He brandishes a blade to his body, publicly contemplating suicide. The officers surrounding him give him space. Their stances are non-aggressive, and while they speak loudly, their tones remain calm and non-threatening.

Most of the officers recognize that one member of their team, Officer Teixeira, has made a connection with the man.

Teixeira first became aware of the man's condition while patrolling near a labor forum building with his partner, Officer Claudio. They received a call about a man at a nearby health isolation site attempting suicide with a knife.

Other GCMS agents (Municipal Guard of Sobral) arrived on the scene and called SAMU (Brazil's EMS equivalent) for emergency support.

SAMU and the GCMS worked together to isolate the area, allowing Officer Teixeira to speak with the man more intimately. After several minutes of using supportive phrasing, the man finally tosses the knife. What happens next is what has impressed so many people.

While the officers are tempted to swarm in and remove the weapon, Teixera's partner, Claudio, lets everyone know that the situation is taken care of, and calls the team back. It was a decision made in a pressurized situation that changed the entire aspect of the de-escalation procedure.

The compassion shown to the man didn't just end the second the "problem" was solved.

Officer Teixeira approached him, continuing to show kindness. The weeping man collapsed in Teixeira's arms, receiving words of comfort and support. His fellow officers gave them space, and the man was then taken to SAMU for treatment before being transferred to Dr. Estevao Hospital for a psychological evaluation.

It didn't take long for the story to go viral even outside of Brazil, Reddit picked the story up and tons of commenters were floored by officer Teixeira's poise in such an emotional situation that could've easily gone south.

A similar act of sustained kindness occurred within hours of Teixeira's rescue, but in Atlantic City, NJ. Officer Eric Knuttel of the city's Crisis Negotiation Team encountered a distressed man on top of the Claridge Hotel.

The situation in Atlantic City necessitate fast action from the AC cops, as the distraught individual was in the process of physically jumping off the hotel's roof.

Knuttel, along with fellow officers, grabbed the man. Knuttel held onto his leg to prevent him from plummeting off the ledge.

While the act of rushing an emotionally disturbed person is a much different outcome that what occurred with the GCMS team in Brazil, Knuttel's commitment to kindness shone through after the save was made.

The AC cops circled him, and one could be heard telling him, "I love you. We'll make sure everything's okay."

This article was originally published on October 30, 2020. It has since been updated.