Oregon Standoff Ends and The Surrender Ritual: Saving Face, TPI’s & More

Crisis Negotiator Blog by Jeff Thompson

The standoff in Oregon has concluded on Thursday after lasting for more than a month. The following article provides a great recap of the final moments and sheds some insight into the “surrender ritual”- the concluding moments of a a crisis/hostage incident.

The articles touches on the use of TPI’s, the importance of face-saving for the subject, as well as the increasing impact that social media has- the conversations between the subject with the FBI and TPI’s was broadcasted live on YouTube.

Some snippets from the article:

• The end came with breath-holding moments as a Nevada state legislator and a North Carolina evangelist worked with FBI negotiators to keep the last anti-government protester from killing himself.

• Over the next five hours, the public listened as the holdouts negotiated with the FBI. An ally of the group broadcast the real-time drama via an open phone line carried on YouTube, with more than 60,000 people eavesdropping at one point.

• “If everybody says ‘hallelujah,’ I’ll come out,” he said. He mentioned having a cookie and cigarette while the negotiators considered his request.

• The four eventually agreed they would surrender in the morning – but only in the company of Nevada Assemblywoman Michele Fiore and evangelist Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association named for his father.

Read the full article [HERE].

                       

Jeff Thompson

Jeff Thompson, Ph.D., is a professor at Lipscomb University, researcher, mediator, and trainer. He is also involved in crisis and hostage negotiation as well as a law enforcement detective. His research includes law enforcement crisis and hostage negotiation in terrorist incidents. He received his doctorate from Griffith University Law School… MORE >