HALIFAX -- A man was arrested Sunday after a 16-hour standoff with police ended at a home in Dartmouth.

Halifax police say in a release that officers went to a residence on Victoria Road in Dartmouth at 9:15 p.m. Saturday to make an arrest related to a previous incident.

Investigators say the man initially held a knife, threatened to harm himself and said he would not surrender to police.

Former Dartmouth councillor, Gloria McCluskey and her son live next door and watched the entire process unfold.

“I could see into the room. He was obviously behind another wall I couldn't see, but there were several police officers in there,” says Michael McCluskey. “There were police officers outside the windows. They were standing by with tasers and some tear gas I think, but it certainly didn't escalate that way.”

Officers negotiated with the barricaded man through the night and he left the home around 12:30 p.m. Sunday to surrender himself to police.

“They were saying things like 'you're a good person – sometimes you make bad mistakes, but that doesn't make you a bad person, just come out, we can talk about this – your life isn't over,'” recounts McCluskey. “I think the negotiator was astounding.”

The 29-year-old man from Dartmouth will appear in court on Tuesday to face several charges, including obstruction of justice.

Nearly two dozen officers were on scene, some of them in SWAT gear. Officers also directed traffic that backed up onto Victoria Road, as the standoff continued into the morning.

“Ultimately, we're there to ensure the safety of the individual,” says acting watch commander for Halifax Regional Police, Sgt. Pierre Bourdages. “We knew in this case, that he was alone in the residence, there was nobody else, there was no threat to the public, and the individual was contained by our officers – so we have to take the time that it takes.

Parts of Victoria Road was closed to traffic during the incident, but the busy route was reopened on Sunday.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Emily Baron Cadloff and The Canadian Press