A 15-hour hostage standoff in downtown Bakersfield, California, ended with the death of a man who had taken ten people captive inside a Chase Bank branch. The suspect, 34-year-old Anthony Scott Searles-Harris, triggered the siege and held the hostages through the night before law enforcement officers finally intervened.
With the immediate threat now neutralised, investigators are examining his background in detail. What they are uncovering is a 'deeply complicated history', including a short stint in the military, multiple criminal convictions and ongoing court disputes over family matters.
