LONDON: UK police were probing on Sunday an assault involving pepper spray at a Heathrow Airport car park that disrupted travel and left 21 people, including a three-year-old girl, needing medical treatment.
In a depature from an earlier account of the incident at Terminal 3’s multi-story car park, London’s Metropolitan Police said it now appeared to have stemmed from a suitcase robbery by people known to each other.
Commander Peter Stevens, who had previously characterised it as an argument that escalated into a fight, said investigators had pieced together the chaotic chain of events after reviewing CCTV and interviewing witnesses.
“At this stage, it’s understood that a woman was robbed of her suitcase by a group of four men, who sprayed a substance believed to be pepper spray in her direction,” he added.
“This occurred within a car park lift, with those in the lift and surrounding area affected by the spray.
“Our officers are working to determine the full circumstances around what happened but we do believe this to be an isolated incident with those directly involved known to each other.”
Armed officers arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of assault after responding to the scene shortly after 8am (0800 GMT).
“He remains in custody and enquiries remain ongoing to locate further suspects,” police said in an update.
Emergency responders treated 21 patients, with five taken to hospital, the London Ambulance Service said.
The three-year-old received treatment at the scene, with all the injuries “not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening,” according to police.
Firefighters provided “specialist assistance” at the scene, London’s Fire Brigade said.
Terminal 3 at Europe’s busiest airport remained open throughout, but the incident prompted severe traffic and public transport disruption in the area, according to officials and reports.
Passengers complained about having missed flights due to its impact.
“We were literally stuck for an hour-and-a-half,” Jayesh Patel, whose family were headed to the airport for a flight to India, told AFP.
“We ran to the gate, and we missed the check-in by three minutes, and we were turned away.
“So we’re gonna have to drive 100 miles back home.”
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UK police probe pepper spray assault at Heathrow Airport car park
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UK police probe pepper spray assault at Heathrow Airport car park
- Armed officers arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of assault after responding to the scene
- Passengers complained about having missed flights due to public transport disruption in the area
Salvadoran military officers face trial for 1981 massacre
SAN SALVADOR: A group of Salvadoran military officers will face trial for a 1981 massacre in which the state launched an attack on leftist guerrillas and killed nearly 1,000 civilians, a victims’ advocacy group said Tuesday.
Soldiers from the Atlacatl Battalion executed 986 people, including 558 children, in northeastern El Mozote and neighboring communities between December 9 and 13, 1981.
The victims were accused of collaborating with the leftist Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN).
Rights group Cristosal reported 13 of the alleged perpetrators will face trial, according to a resolution issued November 26 by the Investigative Court of the city of San Francisco Gotera.
Former Defense Minister Jose Guillermo Garcia and 12 other officers will be tried for charges of murder and rape unless they are able to successfully appeal the trial, according to Cristosal.
The progress in the El Mozote case “has been made possible thanks to the crucial testimonial evidence courageously provided by the survivors of the massacre and forensic investigations,” Cristosal said.
No date has been set in the latest trial, but 92-year-old Garcia and two other former military leaders have already been sentenced to prison for the murder of four Dutch journalists in March 1982.
In that case, the three defendants were sentenced to 60 years but will serve the 30-year maximum legally allowed.
In July, Cristosal suspended operations in El Salvador, citing escalating repression of humanitarian activists under Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, and continued operations from Guatemala.
Soldiers from the Atlacatl Battalion executed 986 people, including 558 children, in northeastern El Mozote and neighboring communities between December 9 and 13, 1981.
The victims were accused of collaborating with the leftist Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN).
Rights group Cristosal reported 13 of the alleged perpetrators will face trial, according to a resolution issued November 26 by the Investigative Court of the city of San Francisco Gotera.
Former Defense Minister Jose Guillermo Garcia and 12 other officers will be tried for charges of murder and rape unless they are able to successfully appeal the trial, according to Cristosal.
The progress in the El Mozote case “has been made possible thanks to the crucial testimonial evidence courageously provided by the survivors of the massacre and forensic investigations,” Cristosal said.
No date has been set in the latest trial, but 92-year-old Garcia and two other former military leaders have already been sentenced to prison for the murder of four Dutch journalists in March 1982.
In that case, the three defendants were sentenced to 60 years but will serve the 30-year maximum legally allowed.
In July, Cristosal suspended operations in El Salvador, citing escalating repression of humanitarian activists under Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, and continued operations from Guatemala.
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