A tense standoff at a downtown California bank stretched for hours on Tuesday as law enforcement officers, negotiators, and federal agents worked to resolve a bomb threat situation involving a man who remained inside the building with other people.
According to Fox News, the incident unfolded at a Chase Bank in Bakersfield, where police responded shortly after 1 p.m. following reports of a bomb threat.
Authorities said the suspect entered the bank and stayed inside, prompting a massive law enforcement response and the closure of nearby streets as officials attempted to assess the threat and secure the safety of those inside.
During a briefing with reporters, Bakersfield Police Sgt. Eric Celedon said investigators were still working to determine exactly how many people remained in the building.
“What I can guarantee the community right now is that every single resource is at the site’s disposal,” Celedon said.
Police deployed an extensive array of resources to the scene, including SWAT officers, bomb squad personnel, K-9 units, negotiators, and drone operators.
The Bakersfield Police Department later described the situation on social media as a “confirmed bomb threat” and warned residents to avoid the downtown area while road closures remained in effect.
According to reports from local station KBAK, investigators believed the suspect may have been wearing a bomb and had barricaded himself inside the bank with multiple individuals.
Authorities were able to secure the release of at least one person before 5 p.m. after negotiations involving both Bakersfield police and the FBI’s negotiation team.
Officials said that the individual was released safely.
“At this time, everybody else still remains inside the building, and everybody else still remains in good health,” Celedon said.
As negotiations continued, retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jason Pack told Fox News Digital that maintaining communication with the suspect was a positive sign.
“As long as communication is open, you have options,” Pack said.
Pack noted that suspects who claim to possess explosives or introduce explosive devices into a situation often do so to gain leverage rather than immediately carry out an attack.
He explained that negotiators typically focus on learning a suspect’s motivations and creating opportunities to release additional people safely.
“The FBI has confirmed it is aware of the situation and sending assistance,” he said. “Any bomb threat at a financial institution triggers federal jurisdiction automatically, which means Bakersfield PD and the FBI are coordinating closely.”
The threat also prompted precautionary measures throughout the surrounding area.
According to KBAK, several government buildings were placed on lockdown, including City Hall North, City Hall South, the Development Services Building and Bakersfield Police Headquarters.
Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh said city leaders were closely monitoring developments as law enforcement continued working toward a peaceful resolution.
“We continue to closely monitor the situation unfolding in our city and remain concerned for the safety and well-being of everyone involved,” Goh said.
By Tuesday evening, negotiators remained engaged with the suspect while authorities continued efforts to bring the standoff to a safe conclusion.
