The London Ambulance Service has released a statement after a man, arrested on suspicion of assaulting police in Penge, was taken to hospital in serious condition following claims he had ingested drugs.
The incident occurred at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 21, when police were called to Penge High Street in response to reports of a group of shoplifters in the area. Officers pursued one man on foot and arrested him on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.
Following his arrest, the man claimed he had ingested drugs, prompting officers to transport him to the hospital. He remains in serious condition.
During the journey, two officers in the police vehicle reported feeling unwell, causing them to stop in Hayes Lane, Beckenham. Concerned about possible chemical exposure, crews from the London Fire Brigade (LFB) and London Ambulance Service (LAS) were dispatched to the scene. The response included an ambulance crew, paramedics in fast response cars, an incident response officer, and members of the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART).
LAS treated three people at the scene, including the two officers, who were taken to hospital as a precaution. The third patient, the man arrested, was transported to the hospital by a third party.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson provided additional details:
At around 18:30hrs, police were called to reports of a group of shoplifters in Penge High Street. Officers responded and pursued one man on foot. The man was arrested on suspicion of assault on police. He was put in a police vehicle and taken to hospital after he claimed to have ingested drugs.
On the way, two officers in the vehicle reported feeling unwell and stopped in Hayes Lane. LFB and LAS attended after concerns that they might have been exposed to a chemical. However, the incident has now been stood down. Both officers have gone to hospital as a precaution. The man arrested remains in hospital in a serious condition.”
A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service confirmed the emergency response:
We were called at 7:40 p.m. on Wednesday, 21 August, to reports of an incident at the junction of Hayes Lane and Kenwood Drive, Beckenham. We sent a number of resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, paramedics in fast response cars, an incident response officer, and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART). Our crews treated three people at the scene, before taking two to hospital. The remaining patient was taken to hospital by a third party.
The incident, initially feared to involve chemical exposure, has been stood down, and investigations are ongoing.
