Federal agents shot and killed a suspect who had been holding multiple people captive inside a California office building, bringing an end to a tense 12-hour standoff, authorities announced Wednesday.
The Bakersfield Police Department confirmed that all captives have been safely released without injury following the incident.
According to the department’s statement, the suspect died in “an officer-involved shooting involving Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel.” The crisis situation in downtown Bakersfield concluded approximately 12 hours after law enforcement first received the emergency call, officials reported.
The incident started Tuesday afternoon when police responded to reports of a bomb threat at the Chase Bank building, a four-story structure featuring dark-tinted windows throughout. According to Bakersfield Police, the individual had fortified himself inside the building with multiple people. Authorities successfully secured the release of two captives on Tuesday through negotiation efforts.
A spokesperson for JPMorgan Chase confirmed that the bank branch operates from the building’s ground level.
Surrounding structures, including City Hall and police headquarters located just one block away, were cleared of occupants, and several streets were temporarily shut down during the crisis. Bakersfield, home to approximately 380,000 people, serves as the government center for the predominantly rural Kern County and sits roughly 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
Law enforcement created a security perimeter around the location and advised civilians to avoid the area. The police department’s crisis negotiation specialists maintained telephone communication with the individual throughout the incident.
“We have every single resource at our disposal out here to bring this to the safest resolution possible,” Bakersfield police Sgt. Eric Celedon stated Tuesday.
Jacob Davidson, a livestreamer who goes by Dad’s Gone Live, was operating from his family’s tattoo parlor one block from the bank when he began receiving calls about the bomb threat.
“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 reported.
His live broadcast captured footage through a building window showing a woman moving back and forth Tuesday evening before ducking beneath the window frame. Subsequently, two hands were visible making waving motions.
