TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A regional group of hostage negotiators went through a special training session Thursday.
They went through a simulation where a veteran who's come home goes into crisis, running into Doak Campbell Stadium and barricading himself with a weapon.
About 40 hostage negotiators spent the day training, including Tallahassee Police, the Leon County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Corrections.
An army staff sergeant with the "Special Operations Wounded Warriors" played the role of the veteran in crisis.
Tallahassee Police say training for any type of hostage situation is critical.
"A lot of it is active listening and try to figure out what the actual problem at hand is and try to get that person on the other end of the phone to trust you, so that you can build a rapport with them and you can deal with the situation at hand together and try to explore some alternatives,"
said Officer Scott Beck, with the Tallahassee Police Department.
The training was organized by the Florida Association of Hostage Negotiators.
Law enforcement from Okaloosa, Escambia and Alachua counties were also part of the simulation.
