The FBI said Wednesday it is negotiating with a man holed up inside a Bakersfield, California, bank with a bomb strapped to his body and multiple hostages.
Authorities said the man, who hasn’t been identified, released two hostages Tuesday from the Chase Bank downtown, but that “several community members” remain trapped with the suspect.
“At this time, everybody else still remains inside the building, and everybody else still remains in good health,” Bakersfield Police Sgt. Eric Celedon said Tuesday.
SWAT officers, bomb squad members and drones have surrounded the bank as crisis negotiators try to defuse the tense standoff that has lasted nearly a day.
An overhead view shows the scene …
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Police said they were originally called to the bank around 1 p.m. Tuesday for a man making bomb threats. Officials said the man had a bomb on his person.
Negotiators secured the release of the first hostage around 5 p.m. Tuesday, and then another around 9 p.m. that night.
The FBI assumed control of the scene late Tuesday. The Bureau said early Wednesday that it had no updates on the situation.
Bakersfield authorities said they locked down City Hall, the police headquarters and several other government buildings due to the ongoing threat.
“We continue to closely monitor the situation unfolding in our city and remain concerned for the safety and well-being of everyone involved,” Mayor Karen Goh said in a statement.
“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 said.
