Police say man barricaded himself inside bank building with others in California city of Bakersfield

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) — A man barricaded himself inside a bank building in the Southern California city of Bakersfield with an unknown number of people, police said Tuesday.

Officers responding to a call of a bomb threat arrived at the scene around 1 p.m. at the Chase Bank building in downtown Bakersfield, and discovered a man had barricaded himself inside “with several community members,” the Bakersfield Police Department said in a statement.

Some community members were able to escape, officials say. No injuries were reported and nearby buildings were placed on lockdown, including city hall and the police headquarters.

The department's crisis negotiation team was in contact with the suspect by telephone.

Officers established a perimeter around the building and nearby businesses, authorities said.

“We are on scene at the Chase Bank Building on Chester Avenue and 17th Street for a confirmed bomb threat,” the police department posted on X. “Please stay out of the downtown area. Road closures are in effect and will remain in effect until further notice.”

About a dozen police cars were on scene along with one tactical vehicle and multiple emergency responders, and FBI agents were on the scene.

Jacob Davidson, a livestreamer known as Dad’s Gone Live, was a block from the bank at his family’s tattoo shop when he started getting calls from his subscribers alerting him to the bomb threat.

“I went into the bank’s parking garage and watched the cops enter the back of the bank. This is the biggest police presence I’ve ever seen in this town,” Davidson said. “Now I’m watching them set up the trauma tents with the green, red and yellow tags, and black tags too, along with a command center about a block away.”

Law enforcement agencies often protectively set up trauma tents — which are color-coded to help sort people based on the severity of injuries — just in case they become needed during an emergency situation.

Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh said she is closely monitoring the situation.

“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 in a statement.