Cops surrounded and arrested a 25-year-old in dramatic scenes following a burglary where a man was attacked with a pickaxe.
A number of gun cops were seen storming the campus as the suspect held his hands above his head.
He then knelt on the ground and surrendered as students fled in fear, Lincolnshire Live reports.
Police confirmed the man was arrested in connection with a burglary nearby where a victim was rushed to hospital with a non life-threatening head injury after being hit with a pickaxe.
Suspects wearing face coverings forced their way into the house armed with the weapon and a shotgun, it is believed.
Terrified witnesses claimed they were kept in lockdown in the university's library as police dealt with the drama.
One said: "I was trying to leave the library and one of the receptionists sounded panicked and said oh they (the police) have guns.
“Then we saw the police running over with their dogs and I saw the guy being taken off. Everyone was routed into the library when it started.”
Another said she was told to "run away" as cops swarmed the scene.
Lincolnshire Police said: "We have arrested one man, aged 25, near to the Engine Shed, Lincoln this morning, on behalf of Nottinghamshire Police.
"We have had a lot of resources in the area and this has caused some alarm. Apologies for this, we should be leaving the area soon."
The university confirmed the man wasn't a student and hadn't entered any buildings.
Simon Parkes, the Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Lincoln, has reassured staff and students with regard to the highly unusual incident which occurred on its campus this morning. He thanked staff and praised them and the Police for their professionalism after a man was arrested as he walked through the campus.
He said: “This incident has been widely reported and some of the speculation about its nature has been misleading. The man was not a student, he did not enter any of the University’s buildings and the incident was not connected to the University in any way.
“I was so impressed by University of Lincoln staff and students. As the incident happened the library staff kept students in the library to allow police to complete their arrest, which was absolutely the right thing to do. I am grateful for their quick thinking. I understand that a few students were in the area at the time and were asked by the police to move out of the way.
“Lincoln is a safe and quiet city which makes instances like this all the more unusual. The presence of armed police was due to a joint operation by Lincolnshire Police and Nottinghamshire Police which led to this arrest.
“I am proud of colleagues and students and thank them for their calm and sensible reaction to the incident, which has enabled us to get back to normal on campus immediately.”
Source: Read Full Article
