Veteran Killed by FBI After 15-Hour Hostage Standoff at California Bank
A 41-year-old U.S. Army veteran was fatally shot by an FBI hostage rescue team after holding 10 people captive for 15 hours at a Chase Bank in Bakersfield, California, and strapping explosives to some victims.
Veteran Killed by FBI After 15-Hour Hostage Standoff at California Bank
A 41-year-old former U.S. soldier was shot and killed by federal agents early Wednesday morning following a 15-hour hostage crisis at a bank building in Bakersfield, California, according to Sky News via Digi24.
The standoff began around midday Tuesday when Anthony Searles-Harris entered a multi-story building housing a Chase Bank branch and local school district offices. Armed with explosives, the registered sex offender with a history of violence took ten people hostage on the second floor and barricaded himself inside.
During negotiations with police, the suspect claimed he was carrying a bomb, Bakersfield Police Chief Jeremy Blakemore told reporters. Officers later verified that explosive devices had been attached to several of the hostages.
Two hostages were released during the afternoon and evening as talks continued, but negotiations reached a deadlock overnight. The FBI dispatched its elite Hostage Rescue Team to the scene. At approximately 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, federal agents moved in and killed the gunman.
"All hostages were physically unharmed," stated FBI Special Agent Sid Patel at a press conference. Patel added that the victims would likely suffer lasting psychological trauma and that the Bureau's victim support specialists would be made available to assist them.
Neither local police nor the FBI disclosed a motive for the hostage-taking. The incident drew a massive law enforcement response to the Bakersfield building, located roughly two hours north of Los Angeles.
Searles-Harris had prior convictions and was listed on the sex offender registry before Tuesday's siege. The explosives he carried and attached to victims added a particularly dangerous dimension to an already volatile situation, prompting the FBI's direct intervention.
The resolution of the standoff without civilian casualties was credited to the coordinated response between Bakersfield police and federal agents, though authorities emphasized that the psychological impact on those held captive would require ongoing support.
Source: Digi24