Building up a rapport with someone can help in any relationship, especially when it’s one built by a negotiator during a hostage situation.

Houston County Sheriff’s Capt. Bill Rafferty served as the primary negotiator in the Midland City bunker hostage crisis last year.

Thursday, the director of the FBI, James B. Comey, presented Rafferty with the FBI medal for Meritorious Achievement for his role in the negotiations, which eventually led to the safe rescue of 5-year-old Ethan Gillman, who was held hostage for nearly a week.

Rafferty recently recalled a few details of his service on a five-member negotiation team, which handled the crisis.

According to the program for the award ceremony, the FBI medal for Meritorious Achievement is awarded for extraordinary and exceptional meritorious service in the line of duty in connection with a decisive, exemplary act, which results in the protection or the direct saving of life in severe jeopardy in the line of duty.

…According to the award ceremony program, Rafferty received the award at least in part after he established a rapport with the gunman, allowing the FBI to “devise” a rescue plan. Rafferty spent 12 hours a day talking to Dykes.

Read the full article and more about the incident that led to the award being given from the DothanEagle.com [HERE].