This debrief will detail an incident in Benton City, Washington, where an emotionally disturbed convicted felon took his girlfriend hostage. Initially, on-duty SWAT team members from the Tri-City Regional SWAT Team responded to deal with the armed suicidal male, who had his girlfriend inside the residence with him. As they tried to get her to exit, the male, armed with a handgun, refused to let her go. The team implemented various tactics, culminating with a sniper taking a shot of opportunity. The efforts of the CNT element and their immediate passage of critical information were integral in resolving this situation. The presenter will discuss aspects of emotional intelligence relating to this incident.

Wayne is the MIRACLE Program Manager for the NTOA. He is a retired administrator with over 27 years of law enforcement experience. During his career he served in patrol, detectives, street crimes, and as an administrator, with additional duties as a SWAT Team and Incident Commander. Wayne served over 25 years on SWAT holding the positions of Team Leader and CNT Cadre Leader. During his career, Wayne has responded to, supervised, or been in command of hundreds of SWAT operations to include high risk warrant service, barricaded suspects, and hostage situations.

Waye is an instructor in numerous SWAT disciplines, instructing both his team and regionally for the Washington State Tactical Officers Association (WSTOA) from 2002 to 2017. During that time, he served as the President and as a lead instructor for the Washington State Tactical Officers Association (WSTOA). He was named SWAT Officer of the Year and Police Officer of the Year and was awarded the Medal of Valor. Wayne instructs in the NTOA's Command Cadre as well as multiple courses under the MIRACLE umbrella. Wayne is a certified emotional intelligence coach, and holds an M.A. in Executive Leadership from Liberty University.

Wayne has had two published articles on SWAT procedures and operations in a the NTOA's national publication, "The Tactical Edge."

Before law enforcement, he served four years on active duty as a ground surveillance systems operator in the U.S. Army, including deployment to Southwest Asia for six months during Operation Desert Shield & Storm.