Man, 32, hospitalized after entering New York Times building with a sword and an axe

A 32-year-old man armed with an axe and a sword went into the lobby of the New York Times building on Thursday and asked to speak to the political section, authorities said - then handed over his weapons and waited for emergency personnel when he was denied entry.

The New York Police Department said officers responded to the Times' building in midtown Manhattan shortly after noon after getting a 911 call about a man with a knife.

Police were called on Thursday to the lobby of the New York Times' building in midtown Manhattan 

The unnamed 32-year-old asked to speak to the 'politics section' of the paper, and claimed he was a whistleblower

The man was escorted from the building by police and taken to hospital for a mental health evaluation

When officers arrived, building security told them the man had the two weapons, and made the request to speak with the specific part of the newspaper staff. 

The axe was in a bag, and the man also had a small folding knife and a container of mace with him, sources told the New York Post.

The man claimed to be a whistleblower and told police: 'They were going to kill me.'

He has no known criminal history.

He was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

It was not clear whether he would face any charges.