man suspected of being armed near Buckingham Palace arrested in London

A man “suspected of being in possession of an offensive weapon” and who approached the gates of Buckingham Palace and then threw suspected shotgun shells into the park, was arrested on the evening of Tuesday May 2, London police said. “Police officers immediately intervened to arrest the man, who was taken into custody”reported Joseph McDonald, a local police official.

“A security perimeter was established after a suspicious bag was found on the man. Specialists went to the scene and, after an assessment, a controlled explosion was carried out as a precaution”added the police in a statement, stating that“no gunshots were reported, and no officers or members of the public were injured”.

The arrest, which took place around 7 p.m. in London (8 p.m. in Paris), comes a few days before the coronation of King Charles III, scheduled for Saturday. British Royal Services have confirmed that neither the King nor Queen Consort were present at the scene at the time of the incident.