A 42-year-old Kingston man is facing charges after a three-hour standoff with police shut down a street on Saturday evening.
Police were called around 4:20pm after a member of the public reported a grey Nissan X-Trail driving dangerously on the Southern Outlet towards Kingston.
Officers found the vehicle at a property on Hawthorn Drive around 4:30pm.
Tasmania Police Inspector Luke Horne said when officers tried to speak with the driver, he became aggressive and pulled out two large kitchen knives with blades around 20 to 25 centimetres long.
Officers deployed capsicum spray and a taser, but neither was effective.
The man retreated inside the house and barricaded himself in.
He then claimed he had firearms and that two family members were inside with him. Neither claim turned out to be true.
Horne said the threats prompted police to call in specialist resources including the Special Operations Group and negotiators.
“Any incident where someone has made threats of a firearm or we believe that the life of someone else may be at risk, we’ll take very seriously,” he said.
The man refused to follow any directions from police, forcing officers to develop a tactical plan.
He was taken into custody shortly after 7pm without injury to anyone involved.
Horne said the man was expected to face several charges relating to driving offences and his actions towards police.
He was taken to hospital for examination before being transferred to the remand centre.
Horne said he was not aware of the man being previously known to police.
Neighbours reported hearing screaming, crying and banging from the property during the standoff.
“We saw like three cars lined up blocking the road,” one nearby resident told Pulse.
Police deployed drones and pushed bystanders back down the road during the operation.
Hawthorn Drive has since reopened.
