Autumn Brown
Supervisory Special Agent
Baltimore Field Office
I have been working for the government for 32 years. I joined the Army when I was just 18. My law enforcement career started with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office in South Florida as a patrol officer and victim witness specialist, and then I joined the FBI in 2006.
My first field office was Baltimore, and I have stayed here for 16 years working primarily national security and violent crime. I have also been an active member of our crisis negotiation team for 15 of those years. I turn 50 this year, and the fact I get to share that milestone with the 50th anniversary of female special agents is truly meaningful.
Describe your most memorable case or investigative success.
In 2017, there was a hostage situation at a maximum security prison in Delaware. Three prison guards and a prison counselor were being held hostage by inmates. We worked with the Department of Corrections and Delaware State Police through a tense situation that lasted more than 18 hours. The prisoners were communicating a set of demands, and we were supporting the primary negotiator from our partner agencies through the process. Eventually, law enforcement entered the prison to bring the situation to an end.
Just a few weeks after the prison incident, we worked closely again with the Delaware State Police after a man killed one of its officers (a fellow negotiator) outside a convenience store and then barricaded himself in a family member’s house.
Both situations were terrible and tragic, but law enforcement responded quickly and professionally. Incidents like this draw people together and build trust, which helps us respond more effectively when facing crisis situations.
What is the best career or life advice you have to give?
Build bridges. During one assignment I was warned that a particular partner was very difficult to work with. But I wasn’t willing to take that as a given. I kept working it until I was able to develop a great working relationship. Strong partnerships are essential to mission success.
What is the best career or life advice you’ve been given?
I never thought I would go into leadership just because I love working cases and supporting victims. But I had a female supervisor who believed in me and told me to push myself out of my comfort zone and work on developing the people coming behind me. That really affected me and changed the trajectory of my career.
