A man was arrested after handcuffing himself to the gates of Buckingham Palace in a concerning incident on Thursday. The city of Westminster police said in a statement that the man approached the gates at around 5.23 p.m. local time on Thursday. When officers approached the man—who is believed to be in his thirties—he began to threaten self-harm. “Police are trying to speak to the man & bring the situation to a swift conclusion to ensure his safety and welfare,” officials said. Police negotiated with the man for hours, who said he had “sustained a number of self-inflicted slash injuries” by 9 p.m. Hours later, at 1 a.m. Friday local time, police announced the man had been arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon. He was taken to a south London hospital to be assessed before being taken into custody. King Charles and Queen Camilla were not in residence at the palace at the time; the two are currently in Scotland.
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. You can also text or dial 988.
