A man was barricaded with an unknown number of hostages Tuesday at a California bank where police had received reports of a bomb threat.
“Several community members” were inside the Chase Bank in the city of Bakersfield, police spokesperson Sally Selby said in a statement, adding that crisis negotiators were working to bring the situation to a peaceful resolution.
At least one person who had been held was freed, police told reporters at the scene.
No injuries have been reported, Selby said, adding that members of the Bakersfield Police Department’s Crisis Negotiation Team were communicating with the barricaded man.
In an update shortly before 5 p.m. local time, Police Sgt. Eric Celedon said the team had secured the release of one hostage.
“With the cooperation of our Crisis Negotiation Team and the assistance of the FBI negotiations team, we were able to negotiate the safe surrender of one of the hostages,” Celedon told reporters at the scene. He said the remaining hostages were “in good health.”
Officers responded to the bank on the 1500 block of 17th Street after reports of a bomb threat around 1 p.m., the department said.
After police arrived and established a perimeter, some of those in the bank were able to get away, Selby said.
The area around the bank was evacuated, and roads were closed until further notice. Celedon, speaking in an Instagram video, urged people to stay away.
“There’s a very active scene,” Celedon said. “If you’re in the area, please leave.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ San Francisco field office said resources were being sent to Bakersfield.
A California spokesperson for JPMorganChase said in a statement that the company’s focus is “on the safety of everyone involved” and that it was working with law enforcement.
Bakersfield, a city of 422,000, is about 113 miles north of Los Angeles and on the southern edge of California’s San Joaquin Valley, an agricultural hub.
