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Bakersfield hostage situation comes to a deadly end
A 12-hour barricade situation and bomb threat inside a Bakersfield Chase Bank building ended when the FBI shot and killed the suspect, safely freeing all hostages.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – A 12-hour hostage standoff at a downtown Bakersfield building housing a Chase Bank and school district offices ended early Wednesday morning after the suspect was shot and killed by FBI agents and all remaining hostages were safely rescued.
What we know:
The incident began Tuesday afternoon when the Bakersfield Police Department responded to a bomb threat at the Chase Bank building in downtown Bakersfield.
A man barricaded himself inside the structure with several hostages, prompting the immediate evacuation of nearby buildings, including City Hall and the police headquarters, according to authorities.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Suspect accused of making bomb threats barricaded at Chase Bank in Bakersfield
The police department's crisis negotiation team established contact with the suspect by telephone.
During these negotiations on Tuesday, two hostages were successfully released, officials said.
JPMorgan Chase confirmed that its ground-floor bank branch was empty during the crisis.
The standoff ended at around 4:20 a.m. on Wednesday when FBI personnel opened fire, killing the suspect, according to police.
Local authorities confirmed that Bakersfield Police Department personnel did not use force.
All remaining hostages were located unharmed and received medical evaluations at the scene.
What we don't know:
The identity and motive of the suspect have not yet been released by authorities.
It remains unclear exactly how many total hostages were held inside the building or how the suspect managed to get inside with a suspected explosive device.
Police have not detailed what specific actions prompted the FBI to open fire early Wednesday morning.
What they're saying:
"We have every single resource at our disposal out here to bring this to the safest resolution possible," Bakersfield police Sgt. Eric Celedon said Tuesday during the early hours of the standoff.
Jacob Davidson, a local livestreamer known as Dad’s Gone Live, witnessed the massive response from a family tattoo shop one block away.
"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," Davidson said. Davidson's livestream later captured a woman rocking back and forth through a building window Tuesday night before crouching down, followed by the sight of two waving hands.
What's next:
A significant law enforcement presence will remain in downtown Bakersfield for several hours as investigators process the active scene.
The investigation into the suspect and the details of the barricade remains ongoing.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.
The Source: This report is based on information provided by the Bakersfield Police Department and JPMorgan Chase representatives. The Associated Press contributed.