What Should You Not Do During a Hostage Rescue Attempt?

The answer

The single most important thing you should not do during a hostage rescue attempt is try to help. That means do not try to free yourself, do not run toward the rescuers, do not pick up a dropped weapon, and do not attempt to fight the captors. This is the answer taught in the Joint Knowledge Online (JKO) Antiterrorism Level 1 Awareness course, and it can feel counter-intuitive because instinct tells you to act. But a rescue is a fast, violent, and highly rehearsed operation, and the rescue team cannot instantly tell hostages from hostage-takers.

Instead, the correct behavior is passive and predictable:

• Drop to the floor and stay low, below the line of gunfire.
• Remain still and avoid sudden movements that could read as a threat.
• Keep your hands visible and empty so no one mistakes you for an armed captor.
• Follow every instruction the rescue team shouts, immediately and without arguing.
• Expect to be handcuffed, searched, or detained until your identity is confirmed. This is not punishment; it is standard procedure.

Why the wrong reactions are dangerous

Each tempting but incorrect action creates real risk. Running toward rescuers puts you in the crossfire and makes you look like a fleeing attacker. Grabbing a weapon to help almost guarantees you will be treated as a hostile combatant. Trying to free other hostages or fight the captors disrupts the team's plan, slows the operation, and can trigger the captors to react violently. Even standing up to identify yourself is dangerous, because the rescuers are moving and shooting at head height while clearing the room.

Rescue teams operate on a simple assumption during entry: anyone standing, moving, or holding something could be a threat until proven otherwise. By making yourself small, still, and compliant, you remove yourself from that threat calculation and let the professionals do their job.

The bigger picture

This guidance comes directly from U.S. Department of Defense antiterrorism training (JKO AT Level 1), which all deploying personnel and many civilians tied to the military complete. The course frames captivity survival in phases, and the rescue phase is treated as one of the most dangerous moments precisely because outcomes hinge on hostage behavior. The same principles are echoed by the FBI and other law-enforcement agencies for civilian hostage situations.

The underlying logic is control and identification. The rescue team briefly controls everyone in the space, sorts hostages from hostage-takers, and only then releases the confirmed hostages. Being handcuffed for a few minutes is a normal, expected step, not a sign you did anything wrong. Staying calm, low, still, and compliant is what keeps you alive.