Hostage Negotiation
I was at home off duty when my Police Negotiation Team pager was activated at approximately 1500hrs. I spoke to North Comms, who advised that a male was at an address nearby with a knife and was holding his children. He was refusing to leave the address.
I drove to the nearest police station and grabbed a marked car. I then drove to the scene address which was by then surrounded by the Armed Offenders Squad. A uniformed officer was trying to speak with the male but he was getting very agitated. I put on protective body armour and went forward to begin negotiations. I spoke with the male for an hour and gained his confidence. He subsequently released his two young children before surrendering himself and being taken into custody.
He said that he would not leave the address without me so I placed him in an unmarked car, away from the gathering media. No one was injured or hurt, and I returned home at 1800hrs for dinner.