LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Metro Police officers spoke candidly about their mental health and their visits with their fellow officer in the hospital on Thursday.
Officer Nickolas Wilt was shot in the head Monday while responding to the deadly downtown Louisville mass shooting. He is still in critical condition at UofL Health as of this writing.
Lt. Joel Lopez and his team have visited with Wilt and his family every day since the shooting.
"What we do is not normal, what we see is not what the average person sees and Monday was like the most extreme example of that," he said.
Lopez said he visits because he would want someone to do that for his family.
"So that's why I do it, and that's why my team does it. I would want them to do that for me," he said.
Lopez added he can easily see why Wilt charged into action the way he did.
"We didn't know Nick and his family," he said. "I've been in awe of [his family and girlfriend], of how strong they've been and I can tell that he grew up in a good house and that's why he did the things he did and was willing to go in there."
Maj. Bryan Edelen said they tell the family they are proud they "wear the same badge that their son, boyfriend, brother wears."
"And the family, the smiles filled that room. They asked prayers to continue, we ask for prayers to continue," Edelen said. "The way he fought on that scene. He's still fighting to survive."
Both Lopez and Edelen said Wilt's brother, who is currently in the academy, is part of the LMPD family for how he's responding to these hardships.
LMPD offered mental health support to officers too, as a safe space for them to release what is on their minds.
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