Some of today's top stories
- A man is in custody this morning after he was involved in a SWAT standoff in East Bakersfield yesterday. This all began around 4 p.m. at Fast Stop Market on Niles and Virginia Streets.
KCSO says the man fled from a stolen vehicle into the convenience store, where he barricaded himself and refused to come out.
Deputies eventually went inside and took the man into custody.
They say a firearm was recovered at the scene. - The Kern County Sheriff's Senior Deputy who died Tuesday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound has been identified. 36-year-old Benjamin Harmonson was found outside his unmarked patrol vehicle a little before 3 p-m, near a canal north of 7th Standard Road and west of Verdugo Lane.
The discovery prompted a huge law enforcement response, with more than 30 patrol cars and motorcycles from various agencies gathering at the scene, and eventually forming a single file procession to the coroner's office.
Services for Benjamin Harmonson are pending.
With suicide all too common among first responders it's critical that resources are available – and a handful of such resources are right here in Kern County.
17's Robert Price reached out to one such organization. - We now know the names of the two people who died in a house fire in Inyokern back in March. The fire broke out around 3 a-m on March 29th on North Calvert Boulevard near Johnston Avenue.
When the flames were put out, crews found the bodies of 94-year-old Agnes Davis and 53-year-old Lyndel Davis.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. - We're learning more this morning about a deadly motorcycle crash that claimed the life of a local student.
It happened in Ridgecrest Friday on South Sunland Street and East Bowman Road.
Police say the student was riding a motorcycle when he ran a stop sign and hit a car.
He was taken to the hospital where he later died.
The Sierra Sands Unified School District says a crisis team will be available to provide emotional support to those impacted by the death.
The student has not been identified. - New details this morning on the investigation into Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner...
It's been a month since allegations of sexual assault against Scrivner emerged... yet he has not been arrested nor charged.
17 News confirming it is still unclear which agency will handle the prosecution. 17 News and other Bakersfield media have previously reported the state Attorney General's Office would be taking over the Scrivner case.
However... in a phone call with 17 News... the AG's Office clarified they're simply reviewing the case right now.
They have not decided whether to take on the prosecution.
The Kern County Sheriff's Office tells us they've completed the investigation and handed over all information to the AG's Office.
Scrivner's whereabouts meantime are still unknown.
He has missed the last two Board of Supervisors meetings - Now to a sad start to the Memorial Day weekend.
Rescue crews have recovered a body in Isabella Lake. According to the Kern County Sheriff's office, a witness called 9-1-1 around 7:30 yesterday evening, to report seeing someone in the water near 'French Gulch' boat launch area.
Emergency crews responded and pulled the person out out of the water.
Lifesaving measures were performed, but KCSO says the person was pronounced dead at the scene.
It's unknown the age or gender of the person and how long he or she had been in the water.
The coroner's office will release the name and cause of death at a later date. - The water may seem calm...and as the days get warmer...it can be quite inviting.
But...below the surface...the Kern River is really very dangerous. Yesterday ...rescuers updated the number of drownings on the warning sign that sits at the mouth of the canyon off Highway 178.
10 deaths were added to the sign, bringing it to 335 drownings in the Kern River in the past 56 years. The entire community is rooting for that number to stay the same for years to come.
it's up to visitors to be safe around the Kern River.
