A man has been arrested following an 11-hour stand-off with police in south London.
Armed officers rushed to the scene, however, were later stood down as specially trained officers attempted to talk to the man.
Footage from the scene showed a string of police cars filing down the road just outside the cordon.
Residents of Dumbarton Road, close to Brixton Prison, were forced to take shelter in Brixton police station while police dealt with the incident, witnesses said.
Homes were evacuated as a precaution.
Neighbour Claudio Coluna, 32, told the Standard many residents had been taken to Brixton police station for shelter.
He said: “I tried to get back into my flat but police said it was not safe.
“Many people were taken to Brixton police station in a van because they had nowhere to go.”
Residents said those who were allowed to stay were being quickly ushered back inside their homes by police over fears for their safety.
At around 2.30pm, one resident reported seeing a woman with a pram being let through the cordon and escorted towards the property.
A resident of nearby Felsberg Road said scores of police had swarmed the road early on Sunday morning, cordoning off her street as well.
She said: "I thought we were short of police but I've never seen so many of them.
"Every where's cordoned off, you can't get in or out of anywhere.
"It's caused so much chaos. But police won't tell us anything at all."
A man, in his 40s, was arrested on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence around 5.15pm, Scotland Yard said.
He is being held at a south London police station.
A Met Police spokesman added: "Officers, including armed officers, attended the address and spoke with the man.
"An imitation firearm has been recovered by police.
"As a precaution, residents of two blocks of flats on Brixton Hill were evacuated with the assistance of staff from the London Borough of Lambeth.
"Temporary cordons have now been lifted and local residents are returning home."
