Armed police have opened fire after a vehicle deliberately drove into the Ukrainian ambassador’s car twice outside the embassy in London this morning.
Met Police have confirmed that shots were fired by firearms officers in the Holland Park area of west London just before 10am on Saturday.
Natalia Galibarenko’s vehicle was ‘deliberately rammed’ as it was parked in front of the embassy, Ukrainian officials to the UK said in a statement.
The statement said police were ‘forced to open fire on the perpetrator’s vehicle – the culprit was apprehended and taken to a police station’.
A man in his 40s, who was not injured, was Tasered and arrested at the scene, Met Police said.
Witnesses described seeing police armed with sub-machine guns ‘wrestling’ the suspect to the ground.
The embassy’s full statement said: ‘Around 10am on Saturday April 13, the official vehicle of the Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK was deliberately rammed as it sat parked in front of the Embassy of Ukraine’s building.
‘The police were called immediately, and the suspect’s vehicle was blocked up. Nevertheless, despite the police actions, the attacker hit the Ambassador’s car again.
‘No one of the Embassy staff were injured. The police are investigating the suspect’s identity and motive for the attack.’
Witnesses reported hearing ’10 or more shots’ in Holland Park Street in Kensington.
Emma Slatter, who watched the scene unfold, said: ‘The suspect was stumbling but he wasn’t resisting. We thought he might’ve been shot but there wasn’t any evidence of any blood.’
The Holland Park area in Kensington holds several embassies including the Greek, the embassy for Uzbekistan and the Cameroon High Commission.
The Beckham family’s home is also close to the scene.
Source: Metro
