Man arrested after ‘pepper spray’ incident at Heathrow parking lot, police say

A man was taken into custody after an altercation at London’s Heathrow Airport on Sunday, where a group of men may have used pepper spray. The incident, which took place in a parking garage at Terminal 3, prompted a police response just after 8 a.m. local time.

Cmdr. Peter Stevens of London’s Met Police stated that the incident was not being treated as terrorism. Reports indicated that multiple people were assaulted by a group of men who then fled the scene after spraying what is believed to be pepper spray.

The detained man, who has not been identified, is being held on suspicion of assault. Authorities confirmed that the incident involved a group of individuals known to each other, with an argument escalating and resulting in injuries. Several individuals were transferred to local hospitals by ambulance with injuries that were deemed non life-threatening, although the exact number of injured individuals was not disclosed.

Despite the incident, Terminal 3 remained operational, although there was some disruption to traffic in the vicinity of the parking garage. In response to the incident, the police announced plans to increase officer presence at the airport for the remainder of the morning.

Heathrow Airport advised passengers to allow extra time for travel and to consult with their airline for any updates. The airport, one of the busiest in Europe, posted updates on social media to keep travelers informed.

ABC News’ Mike Trew and Jessica Gorman contributed to the coverage of this incident.