Palace in lockdown after knife attack on policemen
Two officers injured tackling man wielding weapon outside Mall gates
BUCKINGHAM Palace was in lockdown last night after a man armed with a large knife injured two police officers.
The suspect in his mid-20s was tackled by officers at the scene on the Mall and held on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assault on police.
It was too early to state whether the incident was terrorism related, the Metropolitan Police said.
Two officers sustained minor injuries as they restrained the suspect. No other people were injured.
Police said the man was arrested at the top of the Mall, near the palace gates, in possession of a knife at around 8.35pm. Detective Superintendent Guy Collings said: “A man in his mid-20s 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.”
It is understood no members of the Royal family were in Buckingham Palace at the time. A palace spokesman said it did not comment on security issues.
Witnesses said the man was removed from a car, having apparently driven his vehicle towards them.
“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,” said Kiana Williamson.
“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.”
The area was surrounded immediately by armed police and other security services and tourists were ushered away from the area. There were unconfirmed reports on social media that the man was carrying a sword or machete.
Leonardi Paoli, wrote on Twitter: “Buckingham Palace in lockdown. Man with a sword attacked an officer.” He said he had overheard police talking about a “sword attack”. Police would only confirm the man had a large knife.
The police response was rapid, and the area was soon secured by dozens of officers and police vehicles. “Stuck outside Buckingham Palace with many armed police officers. Heavy rifles on display,” said Amir Jan Malik.
The Buckingham Gate and Wellington Arch entrances to the palace were sealed off last night and several pairs of armed officers were seen stationed at checkpoints around the palace. Birdcage Walk and The Mall – the roads running around St James’s Park – were closed. Europe is on high alert after a spate of terrorist attacks. A terrorist cell launched an attack on Barcelona’s Las Ramblas and at a nearby seaside town last Wednesday, leaving 14 people dead.
Last night in Brussels, a man armed with a machete attacked a group of soldiers. He shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the attack, officials said. He was shot dead at the scene. There have been several terrorist attacks in Britain this year alone. In March, a terrorist drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing four people. In May, a suicide bomber attacked a concert by the pop star Ariana Grande in Manchester, killing 23 people. In June, three terrorists in a van drove into pedestrians on London Bridge in an attack that left eight dead.