Man attacks police outside Buckingham Palace

The officers who were assaulted suffered minor injuries

A man armed with a knife was detained outside London’s Buckingham Palace Friday evening, and two police officers were injured while arresting him, police said. Lauren Hurley/PA via AP

A man has been arrested outside Buckingham Palace in Britain after two police officers were attacked with a “large knife”.

The officers suffered minor injuries to their arms while detaining the man, who was in possession of a knife.

The man, in his twenties, was arrested near the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II’s London residence on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assault on police.

London’s police, The Met, tweeted on Friday evening: “Officers are on scene at the Mall o/s Buckingham Palace. A man has been arrested on suspicion of GBH and assault on police.”

They said the officers involved had been treated at the scene and were taken to hospital.

No members of the family were present at the palace at the time. It is not known what the motivation for the attack was.

"The man was stopped this evening, Friday 25 August at approximately 20:35 hours (1935 GMT) by officers at the Mall outside Buckingham Palace in possession of (a) knife," the police said in a statement.

"During the course of detaining him, two male police officers suffered minor injuries to their arm."

Officers remain on the scene and enquiries are ongoing.