Suicide Assessment

Abstract

At a recent training exercise, a negotiation team supervisor reported to the On Scene Commander (OSC) that they were facing a suicide/homicide situation and that his recommendation was to prepare for an assault. The OSC asked the negotiator why he thought there was an imminent risk of suicide/homicide? The answer was, “We’ve felt that was the case all along but when we asked the bad guy’s partner what he thought of the suicide potential, he said that he thought it was high. There is no doubt about it.” Both the negotiator and the actor’s partner were right, but, it serves negotiators well to be able to articulate their reasons for an assault more clearly than “we felt that way all along” or “the bad guy’s partner said so.” It is in negotiators best interest to be able to articulate their risk assessment so the commander understands the assessment and so he or she can articulate the evaluation in any litigation that may follow the incident.