California hostage drama: FBI kills man holding hostages inside a bank branch in Bakersfield

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Wednesday (local time) shot dead a man who barricaded himself inside a building along with hostages in California's Bakersfield. The building houses a bank branch and school district office, police announced.

Bakersfield Police Department in a statement said the suspect was killed in "an officer-involved shooting involving Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel,” and added the standoff ended about 12 hours after police were called to the building.

The standoff in downtown Bakersfield began Tuesday afternoon when officers responded to a call about a bomb threat at the Chase Bank building.

The police said the man barricaded himself inside with several people and added that at least two were released on Tuesday after negotiations with authorities.

Here's what we know

In a press release issued Tuesday, the Bakersfield police said that it received a call around 1:00 pm regarding a bomb threat at the Chase Bank building at the corner of Chester Avenue and 17th Street. During the investigation, it was reported that the subject was male and had several community members as his hostages. However, no injuries were reported.

While police identified the location as the "Chase Bank building," a Chase spokesperson on Tuesday said the branch was empty and not involved in any standoff. The building houses unrelated offices, as well as a Chase Bank branch, which has prominent branding at the location.

Officers responded to the scene and established a perimeter around the building and surrounding businesses to ensure public safety. Some community members were able to evacuate. In the meantime, the officers and members of the Crisis Negotiation Team remained in contact with the subject by telephone.

Bakersfield police Sgt. Eric Celedon said Tuesday, "We have every single resource at our disposal out here to bring this to the safest resolution possible." He added, "SWAT team, bomb squad, gang team, gang unit, negotiators, drone team. Every single asset we have to bring this to a state of conclusion is out here right now.”

A spokesperson for JPMorgan Chase said the bank branch is on the ground floor of the building and is currently empty. Nearby buildings, including City Hall and the police headquarters, were evacuated and some roads were temporarily closed during the hostage situation.

Livestreamer describes standoff

Jacob Davidson, a livestreamer known as Dad’s Gone Live, was a block from the bank at his family’s tattoo shop when he started getting 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 said.

His livestream captured, through a window in the building, a woman rocking back and forth Tuesday night before crouching below the window. Later, two hands could be seen waving.

Bakersfield Mayor reacts

Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh said she was monitoring the situation and asked the community to keep those involved in their prayers.

Speaking to KBAK, Goh added, "The best way the public can help at this time is by avoiding the area and allowing law enforcement officers, negotiators, and other trained professionals the space and opportunity to safely carry out their duties."

Bakersfield is widely recognised for its deep roots in country music and Western culture, and is located at the southern edge of California’s Central Valley, roughly 100 miles north of Los Angeles. The city is home to about 420,000 residents, comparable in size to Tampa, Florida, while its metropolitan region ranks as the ninth-largest in California.

(With AP inputs)