Police are searching for a man with an axe who was "making threats" in Hetton-le-Hole.
Officers were called out to the town at around noon on Thursday following a dispute but the man in question had left the scene.
Firearms officers were deployed to the scene but have not yet tracked him down.
A search is ongoing but police say there is not believed to be a wider threat to the public.
A spokesman for Northumbria Police said: "Shortly before 12pm today (Thursday) we received a report an aggressive male had been making threats on The Avenue in Hetton.
"Officers attended the scene and began carrying out enquiries where it was reported the male had been carrying an axe.
"Firearms officers were deployed to the scene and enquiries to locate the man are ongoing."
