On Tuesday, a terrifying hostage situation unfolded in Bakersfield, California. A man reportedly armed with a bomb strapped to his chest took ten hostages at a Chase Bank in the downtown area.
Law enforcement swiftly responded and initiated negotiations with the suspect. After a 15-hour standoff, FBI agents stormed the building early Wednesday morning, resulting in the fatal shooting of the suspect.
All ten hostages were found safe and unharmed inside the bank, which also housed the Kern County Superintendent of Schools office on its second floor. The hostages were employees of that school district.
Bakersfield Assistant Police Chief Jeremy Blakemore stated that during the standoff, the suspect tied up half of the hostages. One hostage was able to communicate with law enforcement until her phone battery died; she had diabetes and did not have access to her medication, posing a significant health risk.
The suspect, identified as Anthony Scott Searles-Harris, 41, was a registered sex offender with prior convictions for sexual crimes involving minors under the age of 14. He had also been dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army in 2007 for going AWOL and maintained a history of legal troubles.
According to Blakemore, Searles-Harris informed police he had explosives on his person, including devices attached to five hostages and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) placed throughout the building. FBI officials confirmed that while authorities tested these devices, they did not pose an immediate threat.
Searles-Harris was killed around 4:20 a.m., according to Sid Patel, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Sacramento office.
Blakemore noted that during negotiations, Searles-Harris made demands related to concerns about how a previous case had been handled and its aftermath. “Throughout the night, their families questioned whether they would be seen again but we are very grateful for the outcome,” Blakemore said in a Wednesday news conference.
The incident occurred at the Chase Bank building that also serves as the Kern County Superintendent of Schools office.