A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after Ministry of Defence police officers were confronted close to Buckingham Palace and government buildings in central London.
The Metropolitan police said officers used a Taser electrical weapon during the incident on Horse Guards Parade at about 8.50am on Monday. The Met said there were no reports of any injuries and the incident was not being treated as terror-related.
A man was restrained and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon and is in custody at a central London police station.
The Met said an investigation into the incident had been launched and its officers were liaising closely with the Ministry of Defence police as it progressed. It appealed for any witnesses to come forward.
Horse Guards Parade runs from Whitehall to St James Park and is a tourist attraction that hosts trooping the colour each year on the Queen’s official birthday in June.
Whitehall is home to several government departments, including the MoD and Foreign Office. Downing Street, which is home to the prime minister, is off Whitehall and close to Horse Guards Parade. BBC Radio London reported that Whitehall, which runs between Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square, was closed because of the incident, with buses being diverted away from the scene.
