I kinda liked Mitch

I think that maybe he was a deuteragonist. 


He was the only one to stand up to the man with a gun who took him and the others hostage. Not even the security guard did a thing, and he was about twice the weight as John and was, you know, supposed to protect the people inside.

Mitch did deserve that ass kicking and then some LOL... though it was kinda weird that Julie handed the gun back to John after beating up Mitch.

I do sympathize with John but as far as those people knew he could have had the loaded gun, he could have snapped and harmed them in a way. The more the situation progresses the more stressed out and angry the abductor becomes and even the person with the best intentions could do something stupid due to all the stress and commotion, especially if not experienced with guns. You don't have to be a psychologist or anything to realize that. Not to mention he did end up beating up and humiliating that sniper sometime after. 


And Mitch was one of the people who refused to sign those papers that John needed before being ready to commit suicide, although that would mean that whole situation being over sooner if two people just agreed. I have mixed feelings about that. John wanted to save his son but as the others explained, they didn't want to watch him die thus leaving his son alive, but without the father.

Interesting we didn't see Mitch in the courtroom scene... probably got jailed for beating up Julie. Maybe that will knock some sense into him.