Man with bomb threat barricades inside Chase Bank in Bakersfield, downtown locked
Crisis negotiators are speaking with the suspect. City Hall, police headquarters and a three-block area around the branch were locked down and road closures remain in effect.
Jun 2, 2026, 7:39 PM EDT
Why it matters: A confirmed bomb threat and an active barricade at a downtown Chase branch have closed Bakersfield's civic core and drawn federal teams — a high-risk public-safety incident for a city of about 380,000.
Driving the news:
- Bakersfield police say officers responded to a bomb-threat call around 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Chase Bank on Chester Avenue and 17th Street. - A man barricaded himself inside the building with an unknown number of community members, police said. Some people escaped; others remain inside. - Crisis negotiators have established phone contact with the suspect as SWAT, bomb squad and other tactical units stage outside.
On the ground:
- Livestreamer Jacob Davidson, known as Dad’s Gone Live, said he watched officers enter the bank's parking garage a block away. - Officers set up trauma tents and a command post near the scene; roughly a dozen police vehicles and a tactical vehicle are on site. - Downtown businesses and passersby were urged to avoid the area as streets closed.
What they're saying:
- "I'm not using the H word," Sgt. Eric Celedon of the Bakersfield Police Department said, adding an "unidentified male subject" was barricaded with community members and negotiators were working the scene. — Eric Celedon, Bakersfield Police Department. - "Our focus is on the safety of everyone involved," JPMorgan Chase spokesperson Peter Kelley said. — Peter Kelley, JPMorgan Chase spokesperson. - "The best way the public can help is by avoiding the area," Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh said in a statement. — Karen Goh, Bakersfield mayor.
By the numbers:
- Response began: ~1 p.m. Tuesday. - Security footprint: about a dozen police cars and one tactical vehicle on scene. - Perimeter: a three-block radius around the branch; multiple city buildings placed on lockdown.
The bottom line: Authorities have mobilized local and federal teams and are negotiating to end the standoff without violence; nearby residents should avoid downtown until police clear the scene.