Self-Inflicted Stabbing at Heathrow

Distressed flyer at London Heathrow Airport stabbed self with a knife before being disarmed by airline employees.

A visibly distraught flyer at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) went to extreme measures prior to boarding by stabbing himself in the head with a sharp object past security. The Guardian reports the man caused the self-inflicted wounds while in Terminal 5 of the international airport.

Witnesses say the incident took place at nearly 6 p.m. local time. After clearing customs and airport security, the man walked out of an airport shop with a knife he allegedly picked up from a nearby restaurant. He then used the sharp object to begin stabbing himself, muttering unintelligible words in the process. Passengers nearby attempted to stop the man from harming himself until airline employees ultimately disarmed the flyer.

“People were trying to stop him without getting too close,” one anonymous witness told The Guardian. “The chap was muttering words I did not understand and was very distressed. He never tried to attack anyone apart from himself so I don’t think it was a terrorist attack.”

Security officials and paramedics responded to the scene of the incident within minutes, but at that point, the flyer was already wounded and bleeding. Those who witnessed the incident described it as “upsetting.”

In a statement to the press, officials for LHR confirmed the incident in Terminal 5, while acknowledging there was no breach in airport security and no risk to other passengers. A spokesperson for Scotland Yard confirmed to The Guardian that the individual suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The incident is being treated as a crime and remains under investigation.

[Photo: Wikipedia]