Naked man arrested after Melbourne CBD building site standoff with police

A man has been taken to hospital under police guard after he was allegedly involved in a three-hour naked standoff while drinking a beer.

A naked man has been tasered and arrested by police after allegedly fleeing a Melbourne CBD building site by climbing up several storeys of scaffolding.

Police were called to the site at the corner of Swanston St and Flinders Lane about 6.30am on Friday following reports the man entered allegedly armed with a knife.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the 40-year-old from NSW was tasered and taken into custody about 10am, ending the more than three-hour standoff.

Police responded to the incident shortly after 6.30am. Picture: NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Officers had earlier attempted to arrest the man before he allegedly fled and climbed up several storeys of scaffolding.

Video circulated on social media appeared to show the man naked and drinking a beer while police approached.

He was taken to hospital under police guard, the spokeswoman said.

The under-construction Town Hall Station – part of Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel project – was evacuated as a precaution.

The man was removed by police and paramedics. Picture: NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Onlookers and construction workers stood around the former City Square site as officers initially attempted to arrest the man. Police from the Critical Incident Response Team were deployed to the scene and began negotiating with the man.

He remains under police guard at St Vincent’s Hospital.