A woman in her 60s has been declared deceased following the arrival of armed officers on a bustling thoroughfare in Oxford.

Local residents reported spotting armed units and three Thames Valley Police vehicles on Cowley Road at approximately 3pm on Thursday, March 19.

One person who wished to remain unidentified told this publication that emergency responders arrived with three patrol cars, armed personnel, four ambulances and a critical care unit. The informant added that traffic came to a standstill while roughly eight medical workers tended to the individual at the roadside, administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

When approached for clarification, Thames Valley Police confirmed on Friday, March 20 that emergency services had been unable to save the woman, who passed away at the location.

A force representative stated that the incident involved the death of a woman aged between 60 and 69 due to a medical emergency.

The representative elaborated that when firearms officers are not occupied with the force’s highest-risk callouts and firearms-related incidents, they conduct neighbourhood patrols and assist with local policing duties. On this particular day, while carrying out routine patrol duties, the officers encountered the medical situation and administered emergency treatment. While these officers routinely carry weapons as part of their responsibilities, this was not a situation where armed units had been specifically dispatched to the location.

Police indicated that additional information about the occurrence would not be released.