A man was barricaded inside a downtown Bakersfield Chase Bank with an unknown number of people Tuesday afternoon after police responded to a reported bomb threat, authorities said.
The standoff and potential hostage situation prompted a large law enforcement response near Chester Avenue and 17th Street, where police closed streets, locked down nearby city buildings and urged the public to avoid the area.
Bakersfield police said officers were called to the bank shortly after 1 p.m. and found the man barricaded inside “with several community members,” according to a department statement.
Police said no injuries had been reported as of Tuesday afternoon.
Some people were able to escape from the building, authorities said. At least one person who had been held inside was later released after negotiations, according to Bakersfield police Sgt. Eric Celedon, who spoke to reporters at the scene.
A law enforcement officer responds near a bank where a man barricaded himself on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Bakersfield, Calif. (Jacob, Dad’s Gone Live/Associated Press)
Celedon said the department’s crisis negotiation team was working with FBI negotiators and that the remaining people inside the bank were believed to be in “good health.’
The Bakersfield Police Department described the incident as a potential bomb threat and told people to stay out of the downtown area while road closures remained in effect.
City Hall North, City Hall South, the Development Services Building and Bakersfield Police Headquarters were closed or locked down during the response, according to police. Authorities said the closures were precautionary.
SWAT officers, bomb squad personnel, crisis negotiators, drone operators, K-9 units and federal law enforcement personnel were among those responding Tuesday afternoon, according to police.
A spokesperson for JPMorgan Chase said the company was working with law enforcement.
“Our focus is on the safety of everyone involved,” spokesperson Peter Kelley said in a statement.
A reported bomb threat at a downtown Bakersfield Chase Bank led to a major police response Tuesday afternoon, with nearby city buildings locked down. (Bakersfield Police Department)
Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh said in a statement that city leaders were monitoring the situation and urged residents to stay away from the area.
“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,” Goh said.
The Chase branch is in the heart of downtown Bakersfield, near several government buildings and businesses. The incident disrupted city services and traffic in the area for hours Tuesday.
Police had not publicly identified the man or disclosed a possible motive.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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This article originally published at Man barricades himself inside Bakersfield Chase Bank after reported bomb threat, police say.