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

Case Studies with Questions and Answers

Chapter 10: Crisis Management: Hostage Dynamics

In 2007, Jack Fitzmorris overpowered two guards to escape a Youngstown hospital. Armed and dangerous Fitzmorris found his way to John Zappitelli's accounting firm in Hilliard where he took John's wife Karen, 45, hostage. Barricading himself on the second floor Zappitelli engaged law enforcement in 3 hours of negotiation. Karen was unharmed but frightened for her life. Upon the receiving a pizza he had demanded earlier, Karen was released and Fitzmorris surrendered. Though she was unharmed Karen is now plagued with nightmares, flashbacks and severe anxiety. She describes Fitzmorris as being "irrational, panicked, and desperate," she spoke very little to avoid provoking any additional anger. When she did speak she spoke of her religious beliefs and told Fitzmorris that she was praying "that we would be brought out of the building alive."

At the time he took Karen hostage, Fitzmorris did not have a gun. He had explained to Karen that he had left it in the car and assured that he was not going to cause her any harm. However, his erratic behavior was enough to "severely" traumatize Karen. She expresses a desire to return to normalcy and claims that the experience as a whole has labeled her as a "freak." She accredits her ability to get through the incident with the decision to remain calm. Karen Zapitelli is currently involved in a civil suit where the negligence of the correctional officers, who were responsible for Fitzmorris at the time, is being questioned. The correctional officer's defense attorney has claimed that Mrs. Zapitelli's social networks do not support her feelings of being the victim of a traumatic event.