BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — While 10 hostages were held inside the Chase Building in downtown Bakersfield, Bakersfield police negotiators were just feet away from the man accused of holding them captive.
For more than 10 hours, those negotiators worked to keep 41-year-old Anthony Scott Searles-Harris calm and ultimately help secure the safe release of every hostage inside.
Police say Harris took 10 hostages on the second floor of the Chase Building on June 2 while claiming to have explosives attached to him.
As officers rushed into the building, a team of crisis negotiators began speaking directly with Harris.
Capt. Ryan Kroeker with the Bakersfield Police Department's Special Operations Division said their primary goals were to keep the suspect calm, gather information and get the hostages out alive.
"Our negotiators were there from the initial onset up until around three in the morning the following day," Kroeker said. "Their goal was to keep him calm, build rapport, establish a relationship, understand what was going on, understand what he wanted, and ultimately work toward getting the hostages out alive."
While negotiations continued, SWAT officers maintained positions inside the building.
"Any time we can limit somebody's movements, it allows us the ability to start thinking about options and potential tactics that we could employ to give us the advantage if the situation presents itself," Kroeker said. "When someone has more room to maneuver that we cannot control, it just makes it a lot more difficult."
Throughout the standoff, Harris made a number of requests, including food and drinks, court documents related to his child sex abuse conviction, and requests to speak with family members, including his daughter.
Kroeker said negotiators evaluated each request based on whether it could help move the situation toward a peaceful resolution.
"Our negotiations were succeeding," Kroeker said. "The individual remained calm. He didn't make any unreasonable requests. He didn't provide anything that, from a tactical position, would have necessitated an immediate response."
Two hostages were released during negotiations.
Bakersfield police SWAT officers remained on scene until about 9 p.m., but Kroeker said the department made the decision to rotate personnel out after hours of working in an extremely high-stress environment. BPD negotiators remained inside until nearly 3 a.m.
"They did not want to leave the hostages," Kroeker said. "They remained committed to the citizens of Bakersfield and the community members who were being held against their will. That's heroism at its finest."
The FBI eventually assumed command of the incident.
At approximately 4:30 a.m., agents shot and killed Harris.
All remaining hostages were safely rescued and no hostages suffered physical injuries.
"Hope isn't a strategy," Kroeker said. "There was very little hope going on here. This was training. This was preparation. This was our officers putting themselves in the right position and doing the right things."
Kroeker said the department is now focused on supporting the hostages, officers and negotiators involved in the incident.
He also said Bakersfield police are grateful for the assistance provided by the FBI throughout the operation.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
