Halifax Regional Police had guns pointed at a building for at least 14 hours Friday after receiving reports of a man inside with a knife.

Police responded to the weapons complaint on Ashdale Avenue in Fairview at 9:15 a.m.

As of 11 p.m., officers were still at the scene.

Officers were stationed outside a building with a sign for BabyGz Studioz/Redz Ink, a tattoo studio. Crisis negotiators, the canine unit and close to 20 vehicles were in the area.

Halifax Regional Police say they received a weapons-related call at 9:15 a.m. (Robert Short/CBC)

Police said an officer went to a home in Fairview Friday morning to arrest a man in relation to an outstanding breach file.

They said a man produced a knife while the officer was talking to him — and when the officer backed away to call for backup, the man went back into the residence.

At around 11 a.m., officers started putting on helmets and extra gear.

Nearby businesses stayed open for customers but police advised people to stay away from the Ashdale Avenue area. As of 11 p.m., traffic was being diverted from nearby Alma Crescent. The road near Ashdale Avenue and Titus Street was blocked off.