McMains: Crisis Negotiations: Managing Critical Incidents and Hostage Situations in Law Enforcement and Corrections, 4th Edition

Case Studies with Questions and Answers

Chapter 08: Crisis Management: Negotiating with Special Populations

In late August of 2010 a highly armed ex-cop took 16 tourists hostage holding them on a tourist bus in the capital of the Philippines, Manila. The gunman was a disgruntled employee who had been released from the force for allegations of extortion and drug crimes. His only demand was to regain his position within the force and that the allegations against him are dropped and dismissed. Originally he had taken 23 tourists hostage but released three children and four adults. The tourists were from Hong Kong.

Aside from his initial contact with negotiators to assert his demands, the gunman spoke to a television spokesman from a local television show which was airing the incident as it occurred. A note stating "Big Deal" was posted on a bus window with a time deadline. Though he was using his hostages as leverage, he had no problem of turning them into victims. He stated over a phone interview with a local radio station, "I can see that there are many SWAT teams arriving, they are all around…I know they will kill me, I'm telling them to leave, because any time I will do the same here." China's government had released a statement calling for a peaceful resolution and the freeing of its Hong Kong citizens.

The standoff lasted 12 hours before 30 SWAT members and several local police stormed the bus taking multiple shots and swinging sledgehammers at the bus windows. The hostage taker, Rolando Mendoza, 55 was killed many hostages were injured and 4 hostages died.