FBI Neutralizes Hostage-Taker in Bakersfield Chase Bank Building, All 10 Hostages Rescued

The FBI and the Bakersfield Police Department have released a detailed timeline of the dramatic conclusion to a 16-hour hostage standoff at the Chase Bank building in downtown Bakersfield, where all 10 hostages were rescued and the suspect, 41-year-old Anthony Scott Searles-Harris, was shot and killed by law enforcement.

The incident began on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at approximately 12:59 p.m., when Bakersfield police received calls about a man with an explosive device entering the Chase Bank building on 17th Street. The suspect barricaded himself on the second floor, taking several hostages.

He claimed to have explosives on his person and attached to some of the hostages, which police later confirmed based on their observations.

The 10 hostages were employees of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) working on the second floor. Many other employees and patrons managed to evacuate during the initial takeover.

Police immediately began evacuating surrounding areas and initiated negotiations with the suspect.

During negotiations, police secured the release of two hostages—one at 3:59 p.m. and another at 8:24 p.m.—in exchange for materials related to the suspect's previous court case, as well as food and water.

However, negotiations stalled, and the suspect refused to release any more hostages. The Bakersfield Police Department requested FBI assistance, and the FBI assumed operational control at approximately 9:02 p.m.

FBI Special Agent Sid Patel stated that the FBI responded within minutes with 150 personnel, including SWAT teams from Sacramento and Los Angeles, crisis negotiation teams, and bomb technicians from Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The FBI Hostage Rescue Team was deployed from the East Coast.

Patel identified Searles-Harris as a former U.S. Army soldier who served from 2006 to 2007 but was dishonorably discharged for going AWOL.

He had a criminal history of using weapons to commit violent offenses, including a 2014 conviction for sex acts with a child under 14, and was a registered sex offender.

At the scene, Searles-Harris had tied up five of the 10 hostages on the second floor. The FBI maintained communication with one hostage who had a phone until it died, and medicine was provided to her for her diabetes.

After the FBI SWAT team took over at 9 p.m., the situation was transitioned to the Hostage Rescue Team around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3.

At approximately 4:30 a.m., the Hostage Rescue Team neutralized the suspect after conversations through the door. The FBI later confirmed that the explosives were not a concern.

All 10 hostages were rescued and will receive support from FBI Victim Specialists. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the suspect's home on Oildale Drive, and investigators are aware of a YouTube video allegedly made by the suspect expressing frustration with how his case was handled.

John Mendiburu of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools released a statement expressing relief that no KCSOS staff members were physically injured and thanking law enforcement for their professionalism and courage.

Multiple agencies assisted, including ATF, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, U.S. Marshals, Air Force OSI, the U.S.

Attorney’s Office, Sacramento County Bomb Squad, Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Bakersfield Fire Department, and Hall Ambulance.

The FBI urges anyone with information to contact tips.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.