A man is currently inside a bank in Downtown Bakersfield, California, wearing what seems to be an explosive device attached to his body. Police officers are on the scene.
The unfolding situation is taking place at Chase Bank in Bakersfield, with uncertainties about the presence of hostages.
The ongoing bank incident is prompting evacuations in the area as a precautionary measure. Authorities have advised the public to avoid the vicinity.
City officials in Bakersfield have acknowledged the incident near several municipal buildings downtown. As a safety measure, City Hall North, City Hall South, the Development Services Building, and Bakersfield Police Headquarters have been locked down.
Bakersfield police have implemented an exclusion zone between 18th and Truxtun Avenue and Chester to H Streets due to a bomb threat nearby.
Negotiators are currently at the scene as it is reported that the man has taken at least one hostage. The situation involves a bank robbery in Bakersfield, with ongoing evacuations and road closures as a safety precaution.
The Bakersfield Police Department has confirmed an active hostage situation at Chase Bank on 17th Street and Chester, involving a male suspect who has issued bomb threats and is believed to have a bomb strapped to his body.
