Bakersfield bank hostage standoff ends in FBI killing suspect

A hostage crisis inside a downtown Bakersfield bank ended early Wednesday when the FBI reportedly shot and killed a man who had barricaded himself and a number of hostages inside for hours on Tuesday afternoon and night. 

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Bakersfield Police Department released a statement Wednesday morning that the suspect was killed in “an officer-involved shooting involving Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel.” 

Hostages at the scene were freed with none harmed.

On Tuesday afternoon, KGET-TV reported a man walked into a Chase Bank property making bomb threats and taking hostages, prompting the city to shut down a big swath of downtown. A standoff and negotiations ensued. At least two hostages were reportedly released overnight, with crisis negotiations reportedly continuing this morning.

A spokesperson with BPD told KGET that the suspect was inside a room at the Chase Bank building in downtown Bakersfield with “a number of community members.”

BPD confirmed that at 10 p.m. Tuesday two hostages were released after negotiations. Others who remained inside were reported as safe. 

Bakersfield police were informed around 1 p.m. Tuesday that an unidentified man had entered the bank building. KGET reported a witness who was in the building when the suspect entered heard the suspect say, “It’s a bad day to be at the bank.”

By 4:30 p.m., the Kern County Sheriff’s Office told KGET a search warrant was served at a home in nearby Oildale “in connection to the situation in downtown Bakersfield at the Chase Bank building.”

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Law enforcement officials from the sheriff’s office, Bakersfield police, Homeland Security Department and the FBI surrounded the building and taped off the blocks surrounding downtown. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives San Francisco field office is also reportedly deploying resources to Bakersfield.  

Meghan Durant, a JPMorgan Chase spokesperson, confirmed to NBC that there is a Chase branch on the ground floor of the building and that they were working with authorities.

Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh released a statement Tuesday afternoon saying, “We will continue to closely monitor the situation unfolding in our city and remain concerned for the safety and well-being of everyone involved.”

“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,” she continued. 

This situation is ongoing and will be updated.