‘Slowing things down’ is ‘key’ to safe return of Tennessee pastor kidnapped in South Africa: Retired FBI agent

There should beryllium "no rush" successful negotiations aft a Tennessee pastor was kidnapped portion preaching astatine a religion successful South Africa, a retired FBI cause and hostage negotiator from Knoxville told Fox News Digital. 

"There’s nary unreserved into this," Jason Pack told Fox News Digital connected Friday evening. "Calming things down, slowing things down and conscionable having that dialog and listening to spot what [the hostage takers] privation is truly the cardinal here."

He said he’s definite the U.S. authorities are successful adjacent interaction with the South African authorities, who are starring the investigation, adding that on with the U.S. embassy there, the FBI besides has a ineligible attaché bureau determination that volition beryllium involved.

Pack explained, "Negotiators privation to bargain clip and dilatory things down. Generally speaking, erstwhile an incidental similar this happens, there's a batch of adrenaline pumping, a batch hazard for violence. So generally, astatine the clip erstwhile these incidents happen, that's the highest hazard for violence. So present there's time, hopefully there's an unfastened enactment of connection and there's accidental to marque this extremity safely for everybody."

SIX OHIO SUSPECTS ACCUSED OF TORTURING MAN IN WEEKLONG HOTEL KIDNAPPING: ‘EXTREMELY DISTURBING’

Josh Sullivan, 45, was kidnapped by respective armed, masked men who broke into his religion successful the Eastern Cape Province Thursday evening, took cellphones from parishioners and drove distant with Sullivan successful his ain truck.  (Fellowship Baptist Church/Facebook)

Josh Sullivan, 45, was kidnapped by respective armed, masked men who broke into his religion successful the Eastern Cape Province Thursday evening, took cellphones from parishioners and drove distant with Sullivan successful his ain truck. 

Sullivan, a missionary, came to South Africa with his woman and 2 children successful 2018. 

"The main extremity present some from the South African authorities and from the U.S. authorities is the harmless instrumentality of Pastor Sullivan to his household and his loved ones without anyone getting hurt," Pack stressed. "That's the cardinal extremity present close now." 

He added that "if determination is simply a metallic lining successful immoderate of this" it would beryllium that "none of the different household members were hurt."

Sullivan was kidnapped from Eastern Cape Province Thursday evening.  (Paul Botes/AFP via Getty Images)

Pack said that whitethorn mean the kidnapping was for wealth alternatively than a "political statement" against Americans oregon missionaries. 

"So hopefully that's indicative of an unfastened enactment and an unfastened dialog that the folks who are progressive with this volition privation to bash and truthful everybody tin travel location safely," helium said. 

Pack added that Sullivan and his household are from the aforesaid portion of Tennessee arsenic him and the "community is rallying astir them. They're praying for the harmless instrumentality of the pastor and his household to his loved ones and for his household present successful East Tennessee, determination are surely prayers."

He said he’s definite the U.S. authorities are successful adjacent interaction with the South African authorities, who are starring the investigation, adding that on with the U.S. embassy there, the FBI besides has a ineligible attaché bureau determination that volition beryllium involved. (Getty Images/Fox News Digital)

He told Fox News Digital that "most of these things are settled with words and not force. So, the much you tin person unfastened dialogue, the much we tin speech and listen, I deliberation the much palmy you tin beryllium successful these benignant situations."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

He added that portion apprehending his captors is important, "Right present it's not astir catching the atrocious guys, it's astir the information of Mr. Sullivan, and it's the information the folks involved. So we tin enactment connected that later."