Sheffield city centre roads have been reopened as South Yorkshire Police continue their standoff with an “armed man”. The incident began around 7pm on Monday when officers were summoned to a building on Broad Street, prompting evacuations in the vicinity.
On Wednesday morning the force announced road closures on the Sheffield Parkway from Park Square to Derek Dooley Way had been lifted and public transport was back to normal. However the Mirror reports negotiations with the individual are ongoing, and residents displaced by the situation still cannot return home.
The police statement read: “Our officers remain on scene at an incident in Broad Street in Sheffield, but we are now in a position to reduce the cordon to our work and re-open major roads.
“Although roads have re-opened, our work to negotiate with the man continues. Officers continue to work with residents to ensure that any pets within the building are cared for and reunited where possible. We continue to thank you for your on-going support and co-operation during this challenging time.”
Previously it was reported the man “is alleged to be in possession of weapons and pose a risk to himself”. This follows an event where armed police locked down a high street in Lewisham, south London, after a man brandished a large knife from a window.
Photos surfaced online showing a man in a dressing gown menacingly wielding a sizeable knife from an upper-floor flat. Elsewhere, snapshots from this afternoon reveal police tape encircling storefronts across from the HSBC on Lewisham High Street.
The opposite HSBC branch temporarily shut its doors for safety reasons, confirming neither clients nor employees were implicated. At least two personnel donned in tactical gear and armed with hefty firearms stood near the bank’s entrance.
Additional shots displayed a minimum of six police cars and one fire engine positioned along the high street within the confines of two barricades. Armed response units were observed progressing towards the premise just after 8pm.
Authorities acknowledged attending to a “disturbance” around 10.45am, remaining at the scene with counterparts from both the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade. They engaged with a man inside a property and partially restricted access to Lewisham High Street.