Who was Anthony Scott Searles-Harris? All we know about Bakersfield bank hostage suspect
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Who was Anthony Scott Searles-Harris? All we know about Bakersfield bank hostage suspect")
Bakersfield bank hostage: All we know about Anthony Scott Searles-Harris Photograph: (X/bakersfieldpd)
The man who held more than 10 people hostage inside a California bank for nearly 15 hours has been identified as a convicted sex offender with a lengthy criminal record. Authorities say the standoff ended only after an FBI rescue operation and a fatal shooting inside the building.
Bakersfield police on Wednesday (Jun 3) identified the suspect who took hostage over 10 people at a Chase Bank branch in downtown Bakersfield, some 100 miles north of Los Angeles, on Tuesday (Jun 2) afternoon. The hostage situation led to a roughly 15-hour standoff before the suspect was killed in a shooting involving the FBI. Reports have identified as 41-year-old Anthony Scott Searles-Harris, who, as per authorities, had a criminal history including sex offences against minors. Here's all we know about the Bakersfield hostage situation suspect.
Who was Anthony Scott Searles-Harris?
On Tuesday afternoon, Anthony Scott Searles-Harris entered the Chase Bank building in downtown Bakersfield, some 100 miles north of Los Angeles, with explosives strapped to his chest. According to investigators, Searles-Harris stormed the second-floor offices on Tuesday afternoon and allegedly told people, "It's a bad day to be at the bank," before taking hostages. A tense standoff ensued with over 10 hostages stuck inside the bank. Police later said all 10 hostages were rescued safely, though several endured hours of uncertainty as negotiators tried to secure their release.
Public records show Searles-Harris served in the US Army between 2006 and 2007 before being dishonourably discharged after going absent without leave. He was later convicted in 2014 of two sex offences involving a child under the age of 14 and was released from prison in 2018. California records listed him as a registered sex offender. Reports linked to the case alleged he had hosted underage girls at parties, supplied them with drugs and alcohol, and coerced them into sexual acts.
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Authorities also revealed that Searles-Harris had a history of violent offences involving weapons. While investigators initially treated the explosive threats seriously, officials later said the devices found at the scene were ultimately determined not to pose a significant danger. "We’re still doing further testing on it, but we were able to conclude at this point in time that they were not a concern to us," an FBI official told The New York Post.
How did the police take him down?
The crisis ended around 4:20 a.m. Wednesday when members of the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team entered the building. Officials said concerns over the deteriorating health of a diabetic hostage and the suspect's increasingly erratic behaviour prompted the operation. Searles-Harris was shot and killed during the intervention.
Investigators are still trying to establish a clear motive. However, Bakersfield Assistant Police Chief Jeremy Blakemore said the suspect repeatedly raised grievances about previous criminal cases against him and the sentences he received.
