Read the following incident report excerpt and answer the question below.
**Report Excerpt:** "At 22:30 hours on 15 July, attended a reported disturbance at 14 Archer Street, West End.
Upon arrival, I observed a group of approximately five individuals in a heated verbal altercation on the footpath.
I engaged the primary aggressor, a male in a red shirt, using verbal de-escalation techniques.
The group dispersed shortly after my intervention without further incident.
No offences were detected, and no property was damaged.
I cleared the scene at 22:45 hours."
What was the officer's primary action to resolve the situation?
