LONDON – A man was arrested Sunday after a “group of men” unleashed what may have been pepper spray during an altercation in a parking lot at London’s Heathrow airport, police said.
The incident was not being investigated as terrorism, the commander said. Peter Stevens of London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Officers were called shortly after 8 a.m. local time to the airport’s Terminal 3 parking lot, where there were reports of “multiple people being assaulted,” the department said.
“A group of men sprayed several people with what is believed to be a form of pepper spray and then left the scene,” police said.
The detained man, who was not immediately identified, remained in custody on suspicion of assault, police said.
Police officers respond after an incident at Heathrow Airport, seen through the windshield of a car, in London, Britain, December 7, 2025, in this screenshot obtained from a social media video.
Tom Bate via Reuters
“At this time, we believe the incident involved a group of people who knew each other, with an argument that escalated and resulted in several people being injured,” Stevens said.
Police said the people were taken by ambulance to local hospitals with injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening. Authorities did not immediately say how many people were injured.
Terminal 3 remained open, although there were “some traffic disruptions” in the area near the parking lot, police said. Stevens in his statement said the department planned to increase officer presence throughout the airport, which is among the busiest in Europe, for the rest of the morning.
“Passengers are advised to allow extra time when traveling to the airport and check with their airline with any queries,” Heathrow said. saying on social networks.
ABC News’ Mike Trew and Jessica Gorman contributed to this report.
