Police cordoned off a road in a York suburb with armed police and police dogs along with ambulances and fire engines on the scene in Teal Drive and Wenham Road in Foxwood at about 10.15am today.
Resident Debra Nellis said there were eight police vans with armed police and police with dogs in the street.
She said: “It’s better than The Bill this!
“They all just arrived all of a sudden and the street has now been blocked off.
“I have lived here for nine years and this is the first time that something like this has happened, it’s usually pretty quiet round here, but this is a right carry on.
“The police have been out several times over the last few days, but nothing like this.”
Local residents reported seeing a man in an upstairs window of one of the properties throwing things down and shouting at police officers below and said the man was alone in the house.
Police negotiators arrived at the scene and quite a few people gathered in the street.
Ward councillor Andrew Waller said he was doing his rounds when he came upon the scene.
He said: “I hope that the situation can be dealt with quickly.
“We need to leave the police to do their job, but there will need to be some allaying of any fears afterwards.”
Several armed police were spotted at the rear of a property dressed in black body armour, helmets and guns.
Local resident and ward councillor for Westfield, Cllr Emily Nelson said: “I’ve spoken with our local PC, and this incident is currently being dealt with by various emergency services.
“They need to be given the space to respond and to resolve this issue.”
Wenham Road resident Sarah Layne said she can’t get home.
She said: “I was told that if you cross the barrier you put yourself at risk.
“My two-year-old is at home and I need to get back, my mother-in-law is with them, but she cannot stay all day.
“It is quite worrying, they won’t tell me what is going on.”
York Police said a cordon had been placed around an address in Teal Drive while police negotiated with a man inside a flat.
A police spokesman said: “A man has been taken to hospital after police negotiators ensured a safe conclusion to an incident in York.
“We placed a safety cordon around an address in Teal Drive in Foxwood after the man threatened harm to himself and others and refused to come out.”
“The incident began at 10.12am and concluded at just after 3pm when the man agreed to be arrested before being taken away in an ambulance for treatment.
“We thank residents for your support and understanding while the incident was brought to a safe conclusion.”
The road reopened at around 3.20pm.
Gas engineers were allowed onto the site beyond the cordon and by 3.06pm The Press understood that a man had been brought out of a building into the back of a waiting ambulance which drove away.
By 3.25pm the police cordon was lifted and locals, several of whom had been waiting for hours, were allowed back into their homes.
