Presentation: “Stack Up”
Metro S.T.A.R Crisis Negotiation Team – “Stack up” – Transitioning from phone to in-person Negotiations with SWAT Entry.
On a cold February night, Des Moines Police Department Patrol Officers responded to an apartment complex in reference to a man armed with a knife threatening the victims. Upon their arrival, the confronted the suspect still armed with the knife as he fled into his apartment. Contact was made with the suspect and after a brief conversation, communication breaks down and the suspect barricades himself in the apartment. Information was then received that the suspect was possibly in possession of a shotgun style firearm. Metro Special Tactics And Response was contacted and the Crisis Negotiation Team was activated. During the incident, negotiators transitioned from phone to in-person as Metro STAR Personnel attempted to bring a peaceful resolution to this tense situation.
Presented by: Sean O’Neill, Des Moines Police Department – Metro Special Tactics And Response (S.T.A.R)
Sean O’Neill is a Sergeant for the Des Moines (IA) Police Department assigned to the Patrol Division. He has been in Law Enforcement since 2013, serving with the Myrtle Beach Police Department before joining the Des Moines Police Department in 2015. He currently serves as the Assistant Team Leader for the Hostage / Crisis Negotiation Unit with the Metro Special Tactics and Response (S.T.A.R) Team. He has been involved in a variety of different situations including suicidal subjects, hostage situations, and barricaded individuals. Sean also has the honor of serving as the lead Verbal Judo and Tactical Communications instructor for the Des Moines Regional Police Academy and previously held the role of Mental Health / Crisis Response Officer for his department.
Sean obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology from Coastal Carolina University in 2014 and obtained his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Upper Iowa University in 2018. He also has extensive training in the fields of Hostage Negotiations, Mental Health Crisis Response, Interview and Interrogation, as well as Behavior Analysis and Deception Detection. Sean holds a certification in Hostage Negotiation from the International Association of Hostage Negotiators (IAHN).