9781422285114

were shocked at what they saw. The two hostages were squatting on the floor praying. The male hostage looked up and saw the robot. He used hand signs warning police that Var- gas was in the apartment and armed. A SWAT sniper positioned himself in a near- by building. He couldn’t get Vargas in his sights. Police negotiated with Vargas for several agonizing hours. The talks went nowhere. It was time to move. It was time to end the standoff. Later, in the chapter “Mission Accom- plished,” find out how the SWAT team came through in this situation. First, find out how SWAT teams came to be, along with details about how they do their jobs.

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