Man tasered by police outside Buckingham Palace

A man with knives outside Buckingham Palace has been arrested and is due in court

16:57 04 February 2013

A man who was tasered by police and accused of brandishing knives outside Buckingham Palace on Sunday morning, will appear in court on Monday. The incident took place before noon during the Changing of the Guard ceremony outside the palace.

 

The man, thought to be named Talhat Rehman, aged 54, was holding knives close to his body. He was arrested by police after being tasered, while crowds of tourists - who were there to watch the ceremony - looked on.

 

There has been a video posted on the internet which shows a man with knives shouting before police intervene.

 

One onlooker Kevin Burrows, from Surrey, said: “I thought, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe it’.”

 

He added: “There must have been about 15 police officers on foot who surrounded him once he’d been Tasered. The police saw him really quickly and were obviously cautious.”

 

A spokesperson Scotland Yard said of the incident: “He was not making threats to members of the public but he was challenged by police. He acted aggressively and a Taser was discharged.”

 

It is understood that Mr. Rehman was arrested on suspicion of affray, and is expected to appear at Westminister Magistrates’ Court after being charged by police.

 

It is understood that her majesty the Queen and Prince Philip were at Sandringham at the time of the incident at Buckingham Palace.

 

A taser shot is capable of stunning a person temporarily.