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NT Police arrest 47-year-old man following alleged armed robbery in Tennant Creek

The town of Tennant Creek sits about 500 kilometres north of Alice Springs on the Stuart Highway. (ABC Alice Springs: Samantha Jonscher)

An alleged armed robbery at a pharmacy in the Northern Territory town of Tennant Creek has ended in a staff member disarming a man, police say.

Northern Territory Police arrested a 47-year-old man following the incident in the outback town, about 500 kilometres north of Alice Springs, which occurred just before 12:30pm Wednesday.

NT Police said it responded to a report of a man armed with a firearm in the local pharmacy who was threatening staff.

When officers arrived at the pharmacy, police said "a staff member had managed to remove the firearm from the man". 

No one was harmed and the man was taken into custody, police said.

On Wednesday afternoon, Member for Barkly Steve Edgington posted photos on social media of police, some heavily armed, surrounding the chemist.

Police in Tennant Creek following the alleged incident. (Supplied: Facebook)

In one image, an officer is seen carrying a shotgun away from the pharmacy.

"I'm glad to hear no one was harmed during this traumatic incident," Mr Edgington said.

A police officer with a semi-automatic weapon stands near the Tennant Creek pharmacy. (Supplied: Facebook)

"Thank you to our amazing local police who were quickly on the scene supporting staff and protecting our community."

NT Police duty superintendent Peter Dash said the experience "would have been fairly traumatic to those involved".

"This was a one-off event and we do not expect any repercussions or similar incidents," he said.

"We have cordoned off the area as a crime scene and the store will be closed for the remainder of the afternoon.

"Once our investigators and forensic officers have processed the crime scene it will be opened back up to the public."

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