Police say man barricaded himself inside bank with others in California city of Bakersfield

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) — A man barricaded himself inside a bank in the Southern California city of Bakersfield with an unknown number of people, police said Tuesday.

Police responding to a call of a bomb threat arrived at the scene around 1 p.m. at a bank in downtown Bakersfield, Sgt. Eric Celedon of the Bakersfield Police Department told the ABC affiliate, 23ABC.

A JPMorgan Chase spokesperson, Peter Kelley, said they’re working with law enforcement and their “focus is on the safety of everyone involved.” He provided no other details.

Several city buildings were placed on lockdown, including City Hall North, City Hall South, the Development Services Building, and Bakersfield Police Headquarters.

About a dozen police cars were on scene along with one tactical vehicle and multiple emergency responders, according to media reports.

Bakersfield, a city of about 380,000 residents, is the county seat of largely rural Kern County and is about 100 miles (160 kms) northeast of Los Angeles.