The flagship Apple Store in Manhattan was brought to a standstill Friday as a man entered the Fifth Avenue complex brandishing a Samurai sword and terrorizing customers.

The incident occurred as New York remained on high alert after the Paris terror attacks and ahead of the holiday season that formally kicks off with the Thanksgiving parade next Thursday.

The man made his way down the glass-enclosed spiral staircase - the only entrance to the below-ground store from the street - at 3.55 pm, with customers quickly retreating when they saw his sword.

Police said the man was threatening to kill himself, CBS reported.

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Terrifying: This is the moment the male suspect whipped out the Samurai sword and started descending the staircase into the subterranean store at 767 Fifth Avenue in New York

As the man made his way down the stairs - the only street entrance - customers fled back into the store and security prepared to stop him

The man was wearing a mask and waving the sword as he descended the stairs. Two off-duty cops restrained him and he was taken to hospital

The man was waving the sword as he descended the stairs, which was caught on video by several customers in the store.

In one video, uploaded to Banjo, the man appears to drop the sword, only to pick it back up and keep swinging.

Police say that security guards stopped the man from properly entering the store, and that two off-duty police officers were able to subdue him before backup arrived.

Pictures surfaced on social media showing the man pinned face down at the store, surrounded by police.

The store is located on the ground floor of the General Motors Building at 767 Fifth Avenue (pictured)

The man, who has not been identified, was transported by medics to Bellevue Hospital for evaluation.

There are no injuries or charges at this time, police said. The incident was also not terror-related, they added.

The store is located on the ground floor of the General Motors Building at 767 Fifth Avenue.