A former mental patient with a samurai-style sword began threatening people on a busy downtown street here before lunchtime on Thursday, then held off the police the rest of the day and into the night as they tried to talk him into putting his weapon down.

Finally, after 11 hours in which traffic was clogged and a number of businesses had to be evacuated and shut, officers knocked the man down with a burst from a high-pressure fire hose and subdued him.

At a news conference today, the Chief of Police, Norm Stamper, apologized to downtown businesses, residents and commuters inconvenienced by the standoff.

But except for some bruises suffered by the disturbed man, Tony Allison, 41, there were no injuries. And Chief Stamper said the fact that Mr. Allison was still alive showed that officers had used prudent judgment.