A man barricaded himself with hostages inside a bank in California and has the FBI in check: there is an active bomb threat

It all started early, around 1 p.m. this Tuesday, when the agents received a bomb threat call. Upon arriving at the Chase Bank building – in downtown Bakersfield – they discovered that a man had barricaded himself inside “with several members of the community,” according to the Bakersfield Police Department in a statement.

The building also houses a school district office. Since then, The area is restricted with a strong security operation, and through negotiations, two of the hostages were able to be released and the rest are in “good health,” as confirmed by Sergeant Eric Celedon of the local police.

“We have each and every resource at our disposal here to reach the safest resolution possible,” he said. However, as dawn arrived, the solution still did not arrive.

The nearby buildings were evacuatedincluding City Hall and police headquarters, and some streets were temporarily closed, according to officials. The agents established a perimeter around the building and nearby businesses that had to close their doors in the early hours.

Celedon warned the public to stay out of the area, explaining that this remains a very active situation. “There is a bomb threat“confirmed the police chief.

A JPMorgan Chase spokesperson said its branch is on the ground floor of the building and is currently “empty.” In any case, he clarified that the company is working with the authorities.

Witnesses indicated that when they arrived at the headquarters, the aggressor yelled at them, “It’s a bad day to be at the bank.”shortly before retaining both clients and staff in one of the adjoining rooms in the building where the bank is located. And they added that He had some kind of bomb strapped to his chest.

Official sources reported that the police department’s negotiation team was in contact with the suspect. via telephone.

Around a dozen police cars They were at the scene along with a tactical vehicle and several emergency response teams. There are also FBI agents present.

Before 5 p.m., four hours after the alert was activated, the release of the first hostage was recorded, while after 9 p.m., there was a second civilian who was released.

Jacob Davidson, host of a streaming show known as Dad’s Gone Live, was a block from the bank, at his family’s tattoo shop, when he began receiving calls from his subscribers alerting him to the bomb threat.

“I pulled into the bank parking lot and saw the police officers coming in from the back of the building. “This is the largest police presence I have seen in this city.”Davidson noted.

“Now I see them setting up trauma tents with green, red and yellow labels, and also black labels, along with a command center about a block away,” he detailed.

Law enforcement agencies often preemptively set up trauma tents – color-coded to help classify people according to the severity of their injuries – in case they become necessary during an emergency situation.

Meanwhile, Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh said she was closely monitoring the situation, although there was still no solution.

“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,” he said in a statement.