Saint John police are seeking to identify a man who allegedly brandished a handgun in the uptown area Sunday night.

Officers responded to a report of an armed person in the area of Union and Wentworth streets around 8 p.m., according to a news release Monday afternoon.

A man was allegedly shouting and pointing a handgun before he fled into a building on Wentworth Street, said Insp. David Brooker of the Saint John Police Force's criminal investigations division.

Members of the emergency tactical services and canine unit, along with patrol officers, searched an apartment building and the area, but the man wasn't located, he said.

Police used social media to urge people in the area to shelter in place and to ask others to avoid the area around 9:15 p.m.

They also closed Union Street from Carmarthen Street to Pitt Street, as well as Wentworth Street from Union Street to Elliott Row during the heavy police presence.

The incident was concluded by 12:30 a.m., police tweeted. No injuries were reported, said Brooker.

The man is described as being in his 30s and five feet 10 inches tall. He was wearing beige shorts, a blue North Face hoodie and a red baseball cap.

Police have released a photo of him and are asking anyone who can identify him to contact them.

Any witnesses or people who have dash-cam or security video of the incident are also asked to contact Saint John police at 648-3333, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800- 222-8477 (TIPS).

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