Man next to me at Parliament’s carriage gates appears to have poured (what smells like) petrol on himself. Incredibly brave response from police, who are now helping him.
—Tweet, Huw Merriman MP for Bexhill and Battle, 10:50am, October 1
The Mirror reported (12:08), “Armed police swooped on the man after the incident in Westminster this morning, spraying him with a fire extinguisher before tackling him to the ground”.
They explained, “a huge police response was triggered after the unidentified person who had a lighter doused themselves in liquid, MP Huw Merriman tweeted.
“Officers were seen spraying a fire extinguisher on an unknown substance before wrapping the man in a blanket.
Carriage Gates is the main entrance to Parliament off Parliament Square, the place where protesters gather.
The Mirror also points out, “It is also where PC Keith Palmer was killed in the 2017 Westminster terror attack”.
The Metro added, “witnesses described seeing police pouncing on the man while images from the scene show officers spraying him using a fire extinguisher”.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “At 10:44hrs on Tuesday, 1 October Officers became aware of a man dousing himself with, what appeared to be, a flammable liquid at Old Carriage Gates, Westminster.
“The man, who had a lighter, was sprayed with a fire extinguisher. There was no ignition and the man was detained.
“LFB and LAS have attended the scene. LFB made the scene safe by dispersing the suspected flammable liquid.
“The man was assessed by LAS and taken to a central London hospital. He has been detained under the Mental Health Act”.
