Overview
- The siege began after a bomb-threat call and a man barricaded himself inside a downtown Chase Bank with multiple hostages; the standoff lasted from Tuesday afternoon into the early hours of Wednesday.
- After hours of phone negotiations by Bakersfield police and FBI negotiators, two hostages were released during the standoff and the remaining hostages were later freed and reported uninjured.
- Law enforcement says the confrontation ended about 4:20 a.m. Wednesday in a shootout that involved FBI personnel and resulted in the suspect’s death.
- Officers reported the suspect appeared to be wearing a bomb vest with exposed wiring and may have had a makeshift detonator, prompting deployment of an explosives team, SWAT units and trauma triage tents.
- City Hall, the police headquarters and nearby streets were evacuated and closed; authorities and JPMorgan Chase say the branch was empty and investigators remain on scene to examine the device and determine motive.