Police in Bakersfield, California, were locked in negotiations Tuesday night with a man who barricaded himself inside a downtown building that houses a Chase bank branch and a school district office, holding several people hostage, the Bakersfield Police Department said.
Officers responding to a bomb threat call arrived at the scene around 1 p.m. at the Chase Bank building and discovered the man had barricaded himself inside “with several community members,” the department said in a statement. The incident prompted a large-scale response, with nearby buildings evacuated — including city hall and the police headquarters — and some roads temporarily closed, according to officials. Officers established a perimeter around the building and nearby businesses.
The man had released two of the hostages through negotiations, and the remaining hostages were in “good health,” police Sgt. Eric Celedon said.
“We have every single resource at our disposal out here to bring this to the safest resolution possible,” Celedon said.
Authorities did not immediately identify the suspect or elaborate on a possible motive. The FBI was among the agencies assisting at the scene, according to officials.
Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh said in a statement that the city was coordinating with law enforcement and urged residents to avoid the area as the situation remained active.