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Man Barricaded in Bakersfield Chase Bank After Reported Bomb Threat

Crisis negotiators and federal bomb technicians are on site working to secure safe releases and protect nearby city buildings.

Overview

  • Police say a man entered the Chase Bank on Chester Avenue and 17th Street and barricaded himself with multiple community members after making bomb threats, according to Bakersfield Police statements.
  • Local SWAT, bomb squad, K-9 teams and crisis negotiators responded and the FBI and ATF dispatched resources to assist in the standoff.
  • Negotiators secured the safe surrender of at least one person and several outlets report a second release, but authorities say some people remain inside and counts vary across reports.
  • Officials say no injuries have been reported and no arrests have been made as teams maintain a security perimeter, downtown road closures and precautionary lockdowns of City Hall and police headquarters.
  • Bomb technicians have not publicly confirmed an explosive device so investigators continue to treat the incident as an active bomb-threat response while working toward a safe resolution.