Buckingham Palace knifeman being investigated by counter-terror police

A man armed with a knife is being investigated by counter-terrorism police after being arrested outside Buckingham Palace on Friday night following a struggle with officers. Scotland Yard said two male officers suffered minor injuries.

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.

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 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. There he was arrested under the Terrorism Act.

The man would be later taken to a police station for questioning, a police spokesman said.

“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.

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.

“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 eyewitness had said that he had driven towards the police car. The whole encounter lasted around one minute.”

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.

“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.”

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.

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.

“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.