UPDATE 5/28/2010 9:15 AM: SPD confirms our account of the manhunt, below, but did add some new info as well as confirm that the hour-long search for the suspect Thursday night was unsuccessful. We originally reported that this was a street robbery but SPD tells us the suspect held up a neighborhood convenience store at knifepoint at Mercer and Bellevue. That’s the location of Harry’s Fine Foods. Perhaps a neighbor can stop in and find out how they’re doing after the hold-up.

Original Report: Police have shut down a portion of Bellevue Ave tonight as they search for the suspect in a reported armed street robbery near the intersection with Mercer. The robbery was reported around 8:26 PM. UPDATE 9:40 PM: Working to confirm the area is now open and to back up the indications we have from police radio transmissions that the search described below was unsuccessful.

The suspect was described as a white male in his 20s, around 6’1″, 170 lbs, wearing a black hoodie with a red bandana over his face, and very baggy blue jeans. The victim told police the suspect was armed with a knife. He left the scene heading north on Bellevue, according to the victim, and may have fled along the bike path north of Melrose Ave.

Vita Twitter, @zinfundel described the scene on Bellevue around 9:00 PM, about 30 minutes after the crime was reported:

Cops with dogs on the sidewalks. At least six cars blocking off parts of Bellevue from Republican to Belmont.