Thousands of commuters, workers and residents were barred from several blocks in central Adelaide as dangerous fugitive Rodney Clavell was holed up in a nearby brothel.
The 13-hour siege caused major disruption in peak hour traffic, as trams, buses, cars and pedestrians were diverted from King William Street.
Four blocks south of Victoria Square were cordoned off, with reporters and camera crews placed in an area which gave no view of the building housing the massage parlour.
Replacement public transport went around the cordoned-off area, just up the road from the court precinct - a place not unfamiliar to Clavell, a former prison officer and prisoner.
A few interested members of the public waited at the cordon line.
The police regularly updated the media and pleaded with Clavell - who they believed had access to TV and radio - to end the siege peacefully.
Billie Morrison said she was riding her bike to the law firm where she works when she was told the area was cordoned off.
"It was very daunting and nerve-wracking, as you can see the streets are very empty and quiet," she said.
"There would be hundreds of offices closed down. There are barristers' chambers, there are medical centres, a chemist. There are a lot of buildings and businesses in this area."
Ms Morrison said she had never seen anything like it in Adelaide.
"You hear about it all over the world but you don't expect it to be at your doorstep first thing in the morning."
Just before 2pm it was over when police found Clavell's body and a firearm in the building.
