ARMED police surrounded a property in Newton Abbot after a distressed man in his mid-30s made threats to ‘put himself at risk.’
A tense six-hour stand-off in Mount Pleasant Road, off East Street, ended without incident when the man gave himself up to officers.
Police with guns and specially trained negotiators were drafted in amid reports that an occupant was making threats at 12.30pm yesterday.
A string of patrol cars, together with three riot vans, cut an unusual sight in the normally peaceful neighbourhood as officers set about resolving the drama by preventing the man carrying out any of his threats.
The immediate area became a no-go zone for the public while the siege-like scenario unfolded.
A police spokesman confirmed this morning that the armed response was adopted in the wake of comments made by the man at the centre of the 999 shout.
The spokesman said armed officers were called on to cover any possible extreme actions that might have been taken by the ‘distressed’ individual.
‘Appropriate resources were put at the scene, but they were not used,’ said the spokesman.
He added that the man, who has not been named, was arrested in the early evening on suspicion of criminal damage and other matters.
He remained in police custody this morning, either to be charged or released under police investigation.