What can hostage negotiators do to free Alabama boy?

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We want to go back now to this breaking news that we have been covering really over the past several days now this is the third day of this is a very tense hostage situation.

I guess technically weren't today for -- really on this saying the gunman is accused of dragging a five year old boy.

Off the school bus in front of all of his friends after shooting the bus driver drag the little child.

Now they are holed up in an Unger drew underground bunker.

And the Alabama police say that the little boy has been crying for his parents which is very understandable at this point but that he is mostly.

Doing okay -- according to what they're hearing through this sixty foot height that they have that gives and communication.

With this man and this child to the police have gotten the boy his medication.

I he's autistic according to these reports they sent in crayons and coloring -- to try to help keep him occupied.

While he waits this out.

Doctor -- tablet joins me now forensic psychiatrist and Christopher Voss who is say a member of the -- former former member of the FBI hostage rescue team and negotiator.

That very elite group gentlemen thank you very much -- for being here today.

I don't listen disorder -- let me start with you on this say it you know as a negotiator.

A way he.

How where where do we stand -- -- -- -- how how is it going do you -- so far.

Well there are a lot of reasons to believe that it was going to progress exactly like this had the earmarks from the very beginning of something that we referred to as -- prepared for.

Siege which we expect the last multiple days so as it continues like this they're there establishing.

A -- -- relationship.

With a gentleman on the inside and and taking care of the child than.

There's no reason to believe -- there's no indications that the threat level was indicated.

So they're hearing amount they understand that as complicated and and this is going as expected at this point time.

You know I mean you wonder with a little boy laid down there.

Doctor -- -- -- this question to you.

You know you're very close quarters any human beings -- those close quarters if it can get you know.

Tiresome.

You know what about this relationship what about how you deal -- with a man who is it has taken this action.

Well I think it's important not to dismiss.

What.

The elements of this action.

I wouldn't dismiss the meaning of that by the way I would just I would be talking to him.

About that little boy and understanding that what I'm speaking of his pain.

His trauma may echoed to some extent things that this perpetrated this hostage taker has been through.

This is somebody who obviously set up incredible boundaries around him if you were to wander onto his property supposedly they were terrible consequences.

Why did those boundaries -- formed to begin with.

So talking about the boy's pain.

May trigger something positive is in the man that.

Touches is empathy exact travel what would you say they had to convince him to to let this child go out.

I would tell him that come.

It's very important that that child not carry this trauma forward with him beyond what has already happened.

That that child's life is valuable and can still be highly productive in beautiful and that his life.

The hostage -- life does not need to -- at all he has a message and something to say and regardless of where he says it whether it's in a courtroom or elsewhere.

It can still be that he finds his voice he can still find god.

He needs to be told his life is not over and he -- not impact negatively a child's life one moment further.

Christopher Voss Ed do you agree with fat and terms of what needs to be said to this man in there to convince him to set this -- boy -- We'll certain elements of that that are true that is the general on the inside all of these boundaries that he set up it's very defensive.

And and he's protecting himself.

So the real key here is the reason why -- still holding the child -- because he thinks he needs to do that in order protect himself.

He can let the child go and law enforcement is still not going to assault they want him out alive no matter what happens.

And the child is not necessary to root for him to still have his day in court order protect -- they wanted to come out alive.

Whether or not.

He holds a child so if he lets the child go there's still warned to try to get him to come out alive they wanna save his life.

It just just to reiterate.

Christopher or you talked about it being three different kinds of these situations and this is a prepared for situation clearly.

He has his bunker the neighbors know he spends time down -- sometimes.

System he's ready -- his NF for the duration.

Yeah he's had a vision of something like this happening.

For awhile while he was constructing the bunker -- expected that he would have to go down there for a certain period of time already.

The other two types of the spontaneous.

And the planned for -- -- Both generally shorter in duration and with much more volatile swings so he's expected this and he's ready referred to be done it for a while.

Gentlemen thank you we all hope for our actually similar outcome to this situation.

And safety for this for this child thank you very -- Martha.

-- --

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What can hostage negotiators do to free Alabama boy?

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