FBI Fatally Shoots Hostage-Taker in Bakersfield Office Building Standoff
FBI agents fatally shot a man who held 10 people hostage inside a Chase Bank building in downtown Bakersfield, California, early Wednesday morning, bringing a more than 15-hour standoff to a tense conclusion. All hostages were found unharmed, according to the Bakersfield Police Department.
The Standoff Unfolds
The incident began around 1 p.m. PT on Tuesday, June 2, when officers responded to a report of a bomb threat at the four-story office building on the 1400 block of Chester Avenue, which houses a Chase bank branch on the ground floor and the Kern County Superintendent’s Office on the second floor. Upon arrival, police discovered that a man had barricaded himself inside with multiple hostages.
Nearby buildings, including City Hall and police headquarters just one block away, were evacuated, and roads were closed as a massive law enforcement response mobilized. The Bakersfield Police Department deployed SWAT teams, hostage negotiators, and a bomb squad, while the FBI’s Sacramento field office and Hostage Rescue Team, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security, and the ATF all responded to the scene.
Negotiations and Release of Hostages
Throughout Tuesday evening, crisis negotiators established telephone contact with the suspect. According to CBS News, Bakersfield Police Sgt. Eric Celedon announced on social media that the suspect had agreed to release one hostage. A second hostage was freed shortly after 9 p.m. PT.
“We have every single resource at our disposal out here to bring this to the safest resolution possible,” Celedon said during the standoff.
However, attempts to negotiate the release of the remaining eight hostages ultimately failed, prompting the FBI to prepare for a tactical entry.
The Fatal Resolution
At approximately 4:20 a.m. PT on Wednesday, June 3, members of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team entered the building and fatally shot the suspect, identified as Anthony Scott Searles-Harris, 41. FBI Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the Sacramento field office confirmed that Searles-Harris was “neutralized” by the tactical team.
Patel described Searles-Harris as “no stranger to law enforcement,” noting that he had a history of violence and was a registered sex offender. He had been dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army for going absent without leave (AWOL) during his service from 2006 to 2007.
According to Patel, five of the hostages had been tied up, and Searles-Harris claimed to have attached explosive devices to several of them. The Bakersfield Police Department stated that their personnel were not involved in the use of force.
All 10 hostages were located unharmed and received medical evaluation at the scene, police confirmed.
Witness Accounts
Jacob Davidson, a livestreamer known as “Dad’s Gone Live,” provided extensive coverage from his family’s tattoo shop one block away. He told the Associated Press that it was “the biggest police presence I’ve ever seen in this town.” His livestream captured footage of police setting up color-coded trauma tents and a command center, as well as glimpses through windows of hostages inside the building.
A witness who was in the building when the suspect entered reported hearing him say, “It’s a bad day to be at the bank,” according to local station KGET.
Investigation and Aftermath
Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh issued a statement urging the public to avoid the area and allow law enforcement to carry out their duties. The Kern County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at a home in nearby Oildale in connection with the situation.
Multiple questions remain unanswered, including the suspect’s motive, whether the claimed explosive devices were real, and whether the FBI’s use of deadly force will face internal review. The multi-agency response, which involved the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team, underscores the severity of the threat as assessed by law enforcement.
What’s Next
Authorities have not released additional details about the investigation, which remains ongoing. Traffic closures around the bank building remained in effect Wednesday as law enforcement continued processing the scene. The case is expected to be reviewed by federal prosecutors and may involve standard after-action reviews by the involved agencies.