FBI personnel have fatally shot a man who was holding hostages inside a building in Bakersfield, California, that houses a bank branch and a school district office, police confirmed on Wednesday. The suspect was killed in an officer-involved shooting involving Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel, according to a statement from the Bakersfield Police Department. The standoff concluded approximately 12 hours after police were initially called to the scene. All hostages were freed and none sustained injuries, authorities said.
Details of the Standoff
The incident began on Tuesday afternoon when officers responded to a bomb threat at the Chase Bank building in downtown Bakersfield. The suspect barricaded himself inside with several individuals. Two hostages were released on Tuesday following negotiations with law enforcement. Nearby structures, including City Hall and the police headquarters, were evacuated, and several roads were temporarily closed during the hostage situation. Officers established a perimeter around the area and urged the public to avoid the vicinity. The police department's crisis negotiation team maintained telephone contact with the suspect throughout the ordeal.
Bakersfield Police Sergeant Eric Celedon stated on Tuesday, "We have every single resource at our disposal out here to bring this to the safest resolution possible." A spokesperson for JPMorgan Chase confirmed that the bank branch is situated on the ground floor of the building and was unoccupied at the time.
Eyewitness Account
Jacob Davidson, a livestreamer known as Dad's Gone Live, was at his family's tattoo shop one block from the bank when he began receiving calls about the bomb threat. He recounted, "I went into the bank's parking garage and watched the cops enter the back of the bank. This is the biggest police presence I've ever seen in this town." His livestream captured through a window the image of a woman rocking back and forth on Tuesday night before crouching below the window. Later, two hands could be seen waving.
