The Daily Beast reports
The usually calm and well-choreographed royal ceremony known as the “Changing of the Guard” at Buckingham Palace was dramatically interrupted today when a man holding a huge knife to his own throat was tasered by police.
The man, who was dressed in a jacket, jeans and sneakers, broke through a security cordon and held a large knife to his own throat until police moved in and fired at him with the Tasers.
video: courtesy Grant Shepherd
Ha! Good job. One more person is alive because of appropriate use of Tasers.
Large crowds had gathered as they often do for the Changing of the Guard ceremony, in which one regiment of guardsmen hand over responsibility for guarding the Queen to another regiment.
The handover happens once every two days and is usually accompanied by bandsmen playing music – which can be anything from military marching tunes to pop songs – as the man appeared brandishing a knife.
Within 10 seconds police arrived on the scene and fired the Taser at the man who, after initially rushing at the police, collapsed.
The Queen and Prince Philip were not in residence at Buckingham Palace at the time of the incident, as they are believed to be in Sandringham.
The plod weren’t that confident the Tasers were working until he went down. There was some jumping around involved there.
At this stage, it’s not been published what the man’s issue was.
The Daily Mail adds:
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “It was approximately 11.50. A man was seen outside the centre gate in possession of two knives.
“He was not making threats to members of the public but he was challenged by police. He acted aggressively and a taser was discharged.
“He is thought to be in his 50s. He was arrested on suspicion of affray and has been taken to a central London police station.”
Arrested on “suspicion of affray”.
Heh.
