Law enforcement often overreacts to threats of the kind that Charlie made, even though in most cases such threats are merely defensive, designed to keep the police at bay. Some law officers hear only the threatened action, “I’ll kill this lady,” while failing to hear the conditions under which that action will be taken: “if you try to come in here.” That is one reason why the most critical skills of a negotiator are self-control and the ability to help those around you keep their cool.
