BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — Two months after a terrifying hostage standoff inside the Chase Bank building in downtown Bakersfield, part of the building where the incident unfolded still has not reopened.
Sunday, August 2, marked two months since the June standoff that drew national attention.
On June 2, 10 Kern County Superintendent of Schools employees were held hostage for more than 15 hours. The suspect was ultimately killed by FBI crisis negotiators in the early morning of June 3.
All hostages released, suspect dead in bomb threat at Chase Bank in Bakersfield. PHOTO: KBAK/KBFX
The Kern County Superintendent of Schools office owns the building. In a statement, a spokesperson said things have mostly returned to normal on the fourth, third and first floors, where the Chase Bank is located. But the second floor, where the hostage situation took place, remains closed, and no one is working there right now.
The statement by Robert Meszaros, Senior Director Communications of Kern County Superintendent of Schools read:
No employees have returned to the 2nd floor where the incident occurred. The floor has been closed as work is being done to re-purpose the west side of that floor. Floors 1,3, and 4 have returned to normal operations.
“It can definitely be such a retriggering event to be able to go back to that situation. Again, you’ve got to feel safe and secure,” said Rudy Hernandez, Mental Health Clinician of Kaiser Permanente.
Hernandez said workplace violence can be especially tricky because returning to the same environment can trigger painful memories.
“The example that happened — that’s a major event. It was an hours-long standoff. Just being back in that situation, being back in that building. The smells, the sights, the time of the day can be retriggering. Even if you’re not in that hostage situation, but if you’re in a stressful situation in the workplace — right when you pull into the parking lot, your heart starts beating,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez encouraged anyone who has experienced workplace violence to seek out a licensed therapist and make changes in their life to help them feel more safe and secure.
Security changes have also been made to the Chase Bank building downtown. The bank on the ground floor is now only accessible from one entrance, and the lobby is now closed to the public.
The Kern County Superintendent of Schools said it plans to repurpose the west side of the second floor but could not release details about what it plans to do with the space.