Police say officers who swarmed a Belconnen street on Wednesday morning were engaged in a routine operation, despite witnesses describing tense scenes between a man and a police negotiator.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Part of Chandler Street was sectioned off between about 10am and 11am while the operation took place, a police spokeswoman said.
Police were tight-lipped about the nature of the incident, however witnesses reported it involved a man and a woman inside an apartment building.
One man watched the SWAT team surround the property while a negotiator reached out to a man inside via a loud speaker.
"There was a big armoured van and four or five other cop cars and cops wearing vests. I didn't know Canberra even had a SWAT van," he said.
"He said five times could the male occupant of [address] come out first then he said [the man's first name] can you come out. It looked like someone was going to get shot.
The witness saw police swarm the building and marched the man out first, followed by the woman a short time later.
He then watched the man being driven away in a paddy wagon.
While the police spokeswoman declined to provide any further details about the operation, she said there was no further danger to the public.
"The operation has resolved and there are no concerns for public safety," she said.