California hostage drama: Bakersfield standoff enters second day; two hostages released so far — we know it | Today’s news
A man remained holed up in a bank building in California on Wednesday (local time) with an undetermined number of hostages as the tense situation entered the 3 p.m. The situation prompted a large-scale response from law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and crisis negotiation teams.
Bakersfield police said an unidentified man made a bomb threat Tuesday afternoon before barricading himself inside and “several community members” were still inside, NBC News reported.
Here’s what we know
In a news release issued Tuesday, the Bakersfield Police Department said it received a call around 1 p.m. regarding a bomb threat at the Chase Bank building at the corner of Chester Avenue and 17th Street.
During the investigation, it was determined that an adult male subject had barricaded himself inside the building with several members of the community. No injuries were reported.
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Officers responded to the scene and set up a perimeter around the building and surrounding businesses to ensure the safety of the public. Some community members managed to evacuate.
Police officers and members of the crisis negotiation team remained in telephone contact with the subject. No arrests have been made.
Road closures remain in effect until further notice. More information will be posted as it becomes available.
At least two hostages had been released during the ongoing situation as of Wednesday morning while crisis negotiators worked to resolve the situation peacefully, police spokeswoman Sally Selby said in a statement.
Selby added that members of the Bakersfield Police Department’s crisis negotiation team have been in contact with the accused. The remaining hostages were “in good health,” Police Sgt. Eric Celedon previously said.
Around 11:00 p.m. (local time), a police department spokesman said the FBI had taken over command of SWAT operations. The local FBI office said, “The situation remains active and we have no additional information to provide at this time.”
While police identified the location as a “Chase bank building,” a Chase spokesman said Tuesday that the branch is empty and not involved in any standoff. The building houses unrelated offices as well as a Chase Bank branch, which has prominent branding on the site.
JPMorgan Chase spokeswoman Meghan Durant noted in an emailed statement Wednesday that the branch is on the ground floor and that bank officials are cooperating with authorities.
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The police are evacuating the area around the building
Police have evacuated the area around the building and roads are closed until further notice. In an Instagram video, a police official urged people to stay away.
“There’s a very active scene,” Celedon said. “If you are in the area, please leave.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ San Francisco field office said resources were being sent to Bakersfield.
Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh said she was monitoring the situation and asked the community to keep those involved in their prayers.
“I appreciate the cooperation and coordinated efforts of our law enforcement partners and other responding agencies,” she said.
Bakersfield, a city of 422,000, is about 173 miles north of Los Angeles on the southern edge of California’s San Joaquin Valley, an agricultural center.
