RALEIGH -- Powerful video from a North Carolina Department of Transportation camera shows a Raleigh police officer's act of compassion Wednesday evening.
It happened on the Beltline over Wade Avenue just after 7 p.m. when police got a call about a man who was hanging over the edge of the bridge.
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The man was in distress and needed help. Police said the officer was off duty and was headed home, but he stopped and reached out to the man and developed a rapport with him.
After a short period of time, the man agreed to come off the bridge. That's when the officer hugged the man for quite some time, then walked the man back to a car.
The story is a reminder that there is help for people in mental distress. Call the HopeLine at (877) 235-4525 or go to http://www.hopeline-nc.org/