Police chased down and arrested two men after reports of 'males brandishing knives' in the Northern Quarter on Sunday night.
One was found after the chase sat on a park bench 'recovering from his run', Greater Manchester Police said.
A kitchen knife was recovered during the incident. There were no reports of any injuries.
In a statement, GMP said officers were on the scene within just three minutes. It's understood armed officers and police dogs were also involved.
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In a statement posted to Facebook, GMP City centre said: "To the two males who ran away from us last night: Nice try, you ran but you couldn't hide!
"We received reports of two males brandishing knives in the Northern