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Buckingham Palace attack: two police officers hurt while arresting knifeman Buckingham Palace attack: two police officers hurt while arresting knifeman
(35 minutes later)
A man armed with a knife was arrested by police outside Buckingham Palace following a disturbance. A man armed with a knife was arrested outside Buckingham Palace on Friday night following a struggle with police. Scotland Yard said two male officers suffered minor injuries.
Scotland Yard said two male officers suffered minor arm injuries when they detained the man believed to be in his mid 20s on Friday evening. The incident occurred after the man, believed to be in his early 20s, stopped his car at traffic lights next to a police van. Officers inside the vehicle spotted a large knife displayed openly in the suspect’s car.
They were treated by paramedics at the scene, and both officers were taken to hospital for treatment. As the officers moved to detain and question the man, a struggled ensued and both officers sustained “minor injuries” to their arms, the Metropolitan police said.
The Queen was not in residence at the time, police confirmed. The man, who was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assault on police, was taken to a London hospital for treatment for minor injuries.
Images posted online showed a heavy police presence outside the palace, with emergency vehicles filling the road. Armed police were reported to be at the scene. The man would be later taken to a police station for questioning, a police spokesman said. He said it was too early to know whether the incident was terror-related.
Twitter user Amir Jan Malik wrote: “Stuck outside Buckingham palace with many armed police officers. Heavy rifles on display traffic at a halt.” The two injured officers were initially treated at the scene by paramedics, but later received further treatment in hospital.
One witness described seeing the man wrestled from a car by police, having apparently driven his vehicle towards them. “A man in his mid-20s has been arrested by police after they spotted a weapon inside his car,” said DS Guy Collings. “The quick and brave actions of both officers meant that the suspect was detained very quickly.” Police enquiries were continuing, he added.
Kiana Williamson told the Press Association: “We turned up and there was one police van and one car. There was also a civilian’s car that had veered towards the police car. Witness Kiana Williamson told the Press Association: “The police were trying to get the man out of the car, shouting. More police were arriving on the scene and the man was fighting back.
“They were trying to get the man out of the car, shouting, more police were arriving on to the scene and the man was fighting back. I saw one injured policeman with an injury to his arm, although it didn’t look severe. He was being tended to by another officer. “I saw one injured policeman with an injury to his arm, although it didn’t look severe. He was being tended to by another officer.
“The man had been restrained and looked almost unconscious by the side of the road. I didn’t see the car driving, but the car had been left at the side of the road and an eye witness had said that he had driven towards the police car.” “The man had been restrained and looked almost unconscious by the side of the road. I didn’t see the car driving, but the car had been left at the side of the road and an eyewitness had said that he had driven towards the police car. The whole encounter lasted around one minute.”
The whole encounter lasted around one minute, she added. Another witness, who asked not to be named, said her partner had seen the weapon, which he initially thought was a sword. “I saw the policeman pull the man from the car,” she said. “The police didn’t just run up to the car. There was some shouting prior to this – I couldn’t tell you what. I was a bit panicked.
The Metropolitan police said it was too early to know whether the incident was terror-related. It is understood that no members of the royal family were in Buckingham Palace at the time. “My partner saw a sword, which I didn’t see, as well as a policeman with blood on him, looking like his hand or chest was injured. The police officer had it in his hand, walking away with it.”
DS Guy Collings said: “A man in his mid-twenties has been arrested by police after they spotted a weapon inside his car. The quick and brave actions of both officers meant that the suspect was detained very quickly. No members of the public had any interaction with this individual at the scene. He will now be questioned by detectives in police custody.” Armed police quickly flooded the normally busy part of London’s West End, closing off road and pedestrian access to the area surrounding Buckingham Palace. The Mall was cordoned at Admiralty Arch, close to Trafalgar Square, as officers carried out a detailed search of the stopped vehicle.
An American couple outside the palace, who did not give their names, said they saw a car being searched by officers.
Witness Nicole Kyle was walking home when she saw armed police swoop on the scene and quickly put up a cordon.Witness Nicole Kyle was walking home when she saw armed police swoop on the scene and quickly put up a cordon.
The 25-year-old consultant said: “I was walking toward the Mall and St James’s Park when I saw police rush down toward the palace in great numbers.The 25-year-old consultant said: “I was walking toward the Mall and St James’s Park when I saw police rush down toward the palace in great numbers.
“As we got further down the Mall we saw armed police outside a police van, at which point we were able to walk closer to the palace still, where we were eventually stopped by a cordon.” “As we got further down the Mall we saw armed police outside a police van, at which point we were able to walk closer to the palace still, where we were eventually stopped by a cordon. All we were told was that there’s been an incident.
“A few minutes later police came by to have us clear the area and move further away from the palace. We then saw that police had expanded the cordon. It looks like the cordon is continuing to expand.”
Police tape closed the entrances at both Buckingham Gate and at Wellington Arch.
Police confirmed that no members of the royal family were in Buckingham Palace at the time.