A man in Utica, New York, was spotted walking around the city wielding a machete, the police said. He then barricaded himself inside a house and the officers are currently trying to negotiate with him. 

Residents living near the area of State Street and Cottage Place were advised by the authorities to remain inside their houses. Others were told to avoid the area.

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It was not immediately clear if the man in question was inside his own home or was barricading inside someone else’s home. It is also not known if the man is accompanied by anyone inside the building that he is currently in. 

Responding officers are using ballistic shields and loudspeakers along the streets to warn people in that area to stay inside and lock their doors. Due to the commotion, traffic on the Arterial has also slowed down. Some of the drivers were turning around to avoid downtown.

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An alert was sent out advising people to stay in their homes the man was in the Cornhill area around noon. “CORNHILL AREA – STAY INSIDE YOUR HOMES AT THIS TIME DUE TO DANGEROUS INCIDENT,” a phone alert said Tuesday.

Video posted on social media showed a man walking on the sidewalk with what appeared to be a large knife in his hand.

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The identity of the man has not been released. The police said that they had attempted to speak with him as he walked for several blocks while holding the machete.  The authorities then proceeded to use “less than lethal” options but were unable to stop him as he made it to his home in the 600 block of Cottage Place.

The police said that the individual was still inside his house, as of 2:15 p.m. local time. The SWAT and certified crisis negotiators were conducting ongoing negotiations with the individual. 

This is a developing story.