Police and emergency responders swarmed a downtown bank in Bakersfield, California, after a man allegedly threatened to detonate explosives and barricaded himself inside with at least one hostage, prompting evacuations, street closures, and lockdowns at nearby government buildings.The incident unfolded shortly after 1 p.m. at a JPMorgan Chase branch in downtown Bakersfield. Officials initially responded to reports of a bomb threat before determining the suspect had barricaded himself inside the bank. Authorities said negotiations with the suspect were ongoing Tuesday afternoon. The FBI’s Sacramento field office said it sent resources to assist.
Police said the suspect was believed to have a bomb strapped to his body, though authorities did not provide details about the credibility of the threat or whether any explosive device had been confirmed. Negotiators and tactical units were deployed to the scene as officers worked to resolve the standoff peacefully.
A large section of downtown Bakersfield was shut down as the situation unfolded. The city of Bakersfield announced that several municipal buildings were placed on lockdown as a precaution.
Video from local television stations showed more than a dozen police vehicles, a tactical response vehicle, and numerous emergency personnel gathered around the bank.
