SINGAPORE - A 42-year-old man was arrested for theft and attempted suicide after a five-hour standoff with police at a flat in Teck Whye on Monday (May 8) evening.

Eyewitnesses said the man wielded a knife and threatened to kill himself while standing on a window parapet. He was also seen shouting at police officers during the standoff.

The Police Crisis Negotiation Unit was activated to convince the man to surrender himself, before officers from the Special Operations Command forced their way into the flat and arrested him.

The drama began at around 5pm when officers from Jurong Police Division visited the man's unit at Block 108, Teck Whye Lane, as part of their investigations into a theft that had occurred previously.

The Straits Times understands that the man was believed to have stolen birdcages with live birds in them.

According to a police spokesman, the man refused to cooperate. He then locked himself in his flat and threatened to kill himself.

After the standoff, he was arrested for theft and attempted suicide, the spokesman added.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it was alerted to the incident and set up a safety lifepak as a precaution.

Disaster and Rescue Team (Dart) rappellers were also on standby for deployment.

The man, who had minor injuries, was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital after his arrest.