RAF Mildenhall: Shooting incident trespasser held under Mental Health Act
A man accused of forcing his car through a military checkpoint at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk has been detained under the Mental Health Act.
A man accused of forcing his car through a military checkpoint at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk has been detained under the Mental Health Act. The unnamed 44-year-old was initially arrested on suspicion of trespass and criminal damage at the base, which is used by US forces. The 1,162-acre US Air Force facility went into lockdown after shots were fired following a breach of security. US security personnel opened fire and the driver was taken into custody, before being handed to Suffolk Constabulary for a civilian investigation. The force said there was no indication of a link to terrorism regarding Monday`s (December 18) incident, initially treating it as trespass at an air base that was the subject of an extremist attack plot last year. There is no wider threat to the public or occupants on the base and no other people have been injured as a result of the incident, a spokesperson for Suffolk Constabulary said. An internal inquiry by the US airbase into why guns were discharged will be held, the force added. Superintendent Kim Warner, from Suffolk Constabulary, said the man, who suffered cuts and bruises, was arrested after a “short pursuit” and his vehicle was stopped by US security services, adding that “shots were fired by US security. A spokesperson for the US Air Force said operations had returned to normal at RAF Mildenhall, which is home to units including the 100th Air Refuelling Wing, an intelligence squadron and Air Force Special Operations Command. The incident started at around 1.40pm on Monday and the lockdown was lifted less than an hour later. We`ve concluded our combined US-UK response to this incident and we are continuing to support local authorities in the ongoing investigation, a US military spokesperson added. RAF Mildenhall has previously been a potential target for a terror attack. In May 2016, Daesh extremist Junead Khan was given a life sentence for planning a strike against American military personnel in Britain. He had been communicating with Daesh fighter Junaid Hussain, a British hacker later killed by a US drone strike, who incited him to attack military bases including RAF Mildenhall.