Thornton Heath incident: Man allegedly "armed with acid" tasered after threatening London bus driver and passenger

A man allegedly armed with acid and the Metropolitan Police engaged in a three-hour stand-off on a London bus on Thornton Heath before he was finally arrested. The incident took place at around 8:30 pm on February 11, 2024, when the suspect allegedly threatened the bus driver and other passengers with a bottle of what he claimed was a corrosive substance.

According to The Standard, police have confirmed that there were no casualties and the contents of the bottle were not corrosive in nature.

The man, clad in an orange jumpsuit, was tased by the police and arrested shortly after midnight. Police believe the man may have been under the influence of narcotics, and he was taken to the hospital for further examination.

---

Man held a bus hostage with an alleged acid in Thornton Heath

According to Mail Online, the suspect believed to be in his late 30s, boarded the 109 bus at Brixton and subsequently started smoking. When confronted by fellow passengers, he withdrew a bottle from his person, threatening them with what he claimed was a corrosive substance.

Police were called to the scene in Croydon at 8:30 pm on Sunday, where dozens of officers showed up, including the force’s Territorial Support Group, firefighters, and ambulance workers. What followed was a three-hour stand-off at Thornton Heath as the man refused to cooperate with the police.

Officers donned in chemical suits swarmed the bus and fired tasers at the suspect. He was finally subdued at Thornton Heath around midnight and shifted to a hospital for further examination.

According to The Standard, Metropolitan Police urged people to seek alternate routes as the area from Brigstock Road to Thornton Heath Garage was cordoned off.

As per LBC, the Croydon Police released a statement:

"There is currently a police presence in London Road, Thornton Heath. We were called to the location shortly after 8.30pm to reports of a man threatening bus passengers with an unknown substance. The substance has not been thrown at anyone and nobody is injured. All passengers and the driver have left the bus."

---

This is the second report of a "corrosive substance" attack in the last month

This is the second report of a "corrosive substance" attack this month in London. While the attack in Thornton Heath had no casualties, a previous alkaline attack in Clapham left a 31-year-old woman with "life-changing injuries."

According to Sky News, police were called to Lessar Avenue, Clapham, on reports of a man attacking a mother and her two daughters with a "corrosive substance" at around 7:25 pm on January 31.

Police believed that the suspect, Adbul Ezedi, was romantically involved with the victim and the breakdown of the relationship was the catalyst for the attack. The woman is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital while her two daughters, aged 3 and 8, have been released. A GoFundMe page was started by her friends to cover her medical bills.

Metropolitan Police have launched a manhunt for Ezedi, who was last seen leaning over the railings of Chelsea Bridge in London at around 11:30 pm on the night of the attack.