Bakersfield Bank Robbery Standoff Ends in Violence

A standoff at a Bakersfield Chase Bank, reportedly involving a man claiming to be armed with explosives, concluded after hours of negotiations led to a violent resolution. Law enforcement ultimately decided to forcefully end the situation, resulting in the suspect’s death.

The suspect, a 41-year-old man, entered the bank and announced he had a bomb, taking hostages as he barricaded himself inside. Eyewitnesses reported him saying, “It was a bad day to go to the bank.”

According to Arturo Revello, the former attorney for suspect Anthony Scott Searles-Harris, he was compelled to drive at high speeds to the scene. During this time, Searles-Harris reportedly sought to speak with Revello and held him hostage when officers attempted to apprehend him at his home in Tehachapi. The lawyer was taken to the command center downtown, where he remained for several hours.

Throughout this ordeal, Revello attempted to communicate with Searles-Harris but faced rejection. He described how Searles-Harris believed he was part of a conspiracy aimed at convicting him for sex-related offenses. The suspect thought that evidence exonerating him had been ignored in court.

Searles-Harris, whom Revello characterized as a “narcissist,” also expressed a desire to speak with one of the bank’s victims. After some communication, the victim, now an adult, advised him to surrender, but he refused. Revello mentioned that Searles-Harris had sent a box of legal documents that he wanted in exchange for the hostages, yet he didn’t fulfill his part of the agreement, leaving an employee of the Kern County Schools Department still in his custody.

Eventually, Searles-Harris released two hostages in exchange for food and water, but talks ultimately reached a deadlock.

Revello noted that the FBI soon became involved, as Searles-Harris appeared to anticipate the intervention, fearing that they would kill him. Law enforcement suggested that he specifically targeted the bank due to this belief.

In a tense turn of events, the authorities decided to act decisively. Searles-Harris had threatened that a “dead man’s switch” could detonate an explosive if he were harmed. Despite this, officials entered the building, considering the threat exaggerated, and ended the standoff through lethal means — in front of the hostages, who were then released unharmed.

Reflecting on the situation, Revello believed his former client aimed to highlight his case and perhaps even sought an end to his own life — a bid to become a “symbol” through his death.

There was significant backlash against the FBI’s aggressive tactics, with some defense attorneys condemning the actions taken that day. Revello, while not fond of Searles-Harris, felt a deep sense of regret over the outcome and has been haunted by it, saying nightmares of the incident linger on.

Despite his experience and connection, law enforcement never permitted Revello to speak with Searles-Harris, leaving him questioning if his presence could have altered the tragic turn of events. “There was a complicated story there,” he mused. “I might have had a chance to get him out safely, but they wouldn’t let me.”