Buckingham Palace incident: Moment man arrested ‘for throwing gun cartridges into grounds’ days before coronation
THIS is the moment a man was arrested after allegedly throwing suspected shotgun cartridges into the grounds of Buckingham Palace.
With just days to go until King Charles’ coronation, the Metropolitan Police said a man was held at about 7pm Tuesday as he approached the gates.
The man was detained on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon after he was searched and a knife was found.
The suspect is said to have previously been seen at the Palace shouting: “I’m going to kill the King.”
Witnesses reported seeing the man throw a “number of items” into the grounds before he was dragged away by police.
Officers carried out a controlled explosion near to the gates, which was heard by royal fans setting up camp along The Mall to ensure front-row seats of the historic event this weekend.
Now, footage has shown a man being led away from the scene by the cops as they placed the Palace on lockdown.
It is understood no royals were in the Palace at the time, although Charles and Camilla were there earlier in the day.
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Police were last night facing questions over security after witnesses told how the would-be attacker placed a bag by the gates.
Images obtained by The Sun show the bag and its scattered contents.
Inside there were two passports, a phone, a wallet, keys, and a large brown letter, bank cards, and a laptop case.
There appeared to be a picture of a small child and a book, The Happiness Advantage, by Harvard lecturer Shawn Achor, about using positive psychology to “enhance individual achievement”.
SUSPECT’S BAG
One witness told The Sun: “He was in his 30s. He’s been here the last few nights shouting, ‘I’m going to kill the King!’
“As soon as he placed the bag on the ground the police jumped on him. They were shouting at him, ‘Get down on the floor!’
“How on Earth was he allowed to get so close to the Palace with the Coronation almost upon us?”
A neighbour of the suspect said: “I would see him walking his dogs and wouldn’t have a bad word to say about him.
“If he’s gone there with intent, that’s really shocking.”
A Met spokesman said: “Officers quickly detained the man at around 7pm after he approached the gates of Buckingham Palace and threw a number of items — suspected to be shotgun cartridges — into the Palace grounds.
“These have been recovered and will be taken for specialist examination. The man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon.
“Cordons are in place after the man was also found to be in possession of a suspicious bag. Specialists attended and following an assessment a controlled explosion was conducted as a precaution.”
He was in his 30s. He’s been here the last few nights shouting ‘I’m going to kill the King’.
Witness
MP Jacob Rees-Mogg was broadcasting from a portakabin nearby and was asked to leave as the drama unfolded.
A full Coronation rehearsal went ahead as planned last night.
Chief Supt Joseph McDonald said: “Officers worked immediately to detain the man and he has been taken into police custody. There have been no reports of any shots fired, or any injuries. Further enquiries are ongoing.”
It was understood the police were treating the matter as an isolated mental health incident.
Behind the scenes in the capital, a huge security and logistical operation is advancing as police chiefs and transport bosses prepare for the biggest state event since the funeral of the Queen last year.
The security operation, Golden Orb, is not as big as Operation London Bridge, the funeral plan for Queen Elizabeth, as the site map for the Coronation is much smaller.
However, it still requires vast resources and meticulous planning.
A joint police and mental health unit has been vetting royal obsessives to try to identify anyone who poses a risk.
Those who may pose a threat are being visited by mental health workers.
Any “fixated” individuals heading for London will face “close monitoring”.
HIGH ALERT
It emerged this year that the number of fanatics posing a risk to the royals and other VIPs had doubled since 2014, with officers monitoring more than 200 people.
Snipers will be back on rooftops on the day while plain-clothes police roam through crowds.
Hundreds of officers from all over the country will line the route towards Westminster Abbey.
Yesterday the King and the Queen Consort attended a reception with MPs at Westminster Hall ahead of the Coronation.
Charles was pictured shaking hands with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer while PM Rishi Sunak stood beside the pair.
