on the negotiator's side. It was exactly one year ago and was working with a friend that had gone nuts and was convinced "the rapture" was imminent. Its not a fun place to be, knowing that saying the wrong thing might make matters far worse. In my case he up and bolted. I couldn't keep up with him on foot and quickly lost him when he hopped a fence and disappeared into a golf course late at night. This began a city-wide search by us and the police until they finally found him laying in the street a couple of hours later. There was a very real threat he would be shot that night. I can empathize with anybody dealing with serious psychosis. My friend was placed in a psychiatric hospital for a while and has been slowly working his way back to normal for a year with the help of psychiatrists, meds and counseling. He is doing so much better now, its amazing how critical those things are.

The amateur negotiators made some mistakes for sure, especially when alluding to suicide as the cowards way out, but they did an admirable job of it on the whole. I wish we could have heard both sides of the conversation with the FBI negotiator. Especially at the end, they were the professionals. The amateurs did a reasonable job of calming him down, but I'd like to know what was said by the pro that actually got him walking out.

Anyway the threat is over. I don't doubt these guys are going to continue having issues though. I think the state should release everything they have on the killing of Finicum. From the footage that was released, I believe it was a justified shooting by the state police. The man had a death wish and got his wish. Luckily he was the only one to get his wish.