In September 2020, in Dolton, Illinois, a suspect held a mother and child were held hostage in a hotel room. They were beaten and choked unconscious. A hostage rescue recovered both the hostages and the suspect. This unique incident occurred during the height of protests around the United States. During this incident, which happened in a non-friendly neighborhood, protestors on the scene added to the chaotic and challenging environment. Several other factors played a role during this event. Presenters will provide their first-hand experiences and discuss lessons learned and challenges encountered.

Brian Tencza is a patrol sergeant for the Flossmoor (IL) Police Department with 25 years of law enforcement experience. He is currently the Tactical Field Coordinator for the South Suburban Emergency Response Team with 17 years of SWAT experience. He has a Master's Degree from Governors State University in Public Administration and did his undergraduate work at Illinois Wesleyan University. He is an instructor for the North East Multi-Regional Training and has trained thousands of officers and SWAT operators from various agencies. He is also a paramedic for his agency. He can be reached at btencza@btitactical.com.

Sergeant Richard Wesolowski has been serving the Thornton (IL) Police Department for over 22 years. He started his career as a police officer and after a few years became a detective. He has worked with the Cook County Gang Unit and served three years with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a Task Force Officer (TFO). After returning from the DEA, he was promoted to Sergeant at the Thornton Police Department. After serving two years on the police department, he was given an opportunity to join the South Suburban Emergency Response Team (SSERT) a multi-jurisdictional team in the south suburbs of Chicago and has served as a member of the team since 1999. Richard has held several positions with the SSERT to include operator, team leader, entry coordinator, assistant commander and he is currently the team commander. During his tenure as part of the team, he has participated in over 1,500 high risk tactical operations. He has received awards for leadership, excellence, trainer of the year and SWAT operator of the year.