12 February 2025 , 11:08
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A man has been arrested on suspicion of committing firearms offences following a standoff with armed police officers in Sheffield.
Officers were called to the scene at the Gateway apartment block in Sheffield City Centre shortly after 7pm on Monday, following reports an armed man had barricaded himself in his flat.
Resident of the Gateway were told to evacuate to a the local sports centre while students in a nearby halls of residence were ordered to stay inside.
Following a period of negotiation with the suspect, officers arrested a 47-year-old man on suspicion of affray, criminal damage, possession of a firearm, threats to kill and communicate with a bomb hoax, South Yorkshire Police said.
Police spent 24 hours negotiating with the man (Picture: SWNS)
Caption: ?? Licensed to London News Pictures. 11/02/2025. Sheffield , UK. Counter Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officers are seen outside the Gateway building in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Police said last night just after 7pm we responded to concerns for a man inside a property on Broad Street. The man is alleged to be in possession of weapons and pose a risk to himself.Photo credit: Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNP Photographer: Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNP Provider: Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNP Source: London News Pictures Ltd(Credits: Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNP)
Despite the arrest, the apartment block remains closed while police conduct a ‘thorough search’ of the property.
Video from the scene on Tuesday shows officers stood on a flat balcony below the top floor.
A local resident who lives in The Gateway block of flats told Metro on Tuesday: ‘At the time it was frightening. I had a police officer come around banging on my door around 8pm yesterday, telling us we need to “evacuate now”.
‘I started to gather some stuff and she really highlighted the fact we have to leave “now”. I couldn’t even get the cats out.
‘All the police who have been supporting us so far have been lovely and friendly towards us too.
‘So far the staff at Ponds Forge have been absolutely fantastic to us, providing us with water and food. We had beds delivered around 4am this morning.
‘We’ve been moved into a hotel now which is obviously nicer.’
Emergency services are seen outside the block of flats (Picture: LNP)
People were evacuated from the building by police (Picture: LNP)
Police said: ‘We would like to thank those who have been affected for their continued support while emergency services conduct their work.’
In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, police said: ‘We understand the disruption and impact this incident is having on our communities, those affected by the evacuation, roads closures and those concerned for loved ones in the area.
‘Our aim is to bring the incident to a close safely and get everyone and their families back to their homes as soon as possible.’
During the cordon in which Sheffield Parkway was blocked, commuters were advised to avoid the area.
People complained about heavy traffic especially during rush hour, with some saying it took them three hours to get to work on Tuesday.
The tram network was also affected, but is now running as normal again.