GENEVA (AP) — A guy wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying explosives was apprehended at one of the entrances of the Swiss Parliament on Tuesday, prompting the Swiss capital’s police to evacuate Parliament and adjacent institutions.
Berne police said in a statement that in the early afternoon, “federal security personnel saw a guy at the southern entrance of the Parliament building whose look and actions were suspicious.” The individual was wearing a bulletproof jacket and a weapon holster.
“During the subsequent body search, a fast test detected explosives,” said the statement.
The statement lacked specifics on the explosives.
The unidentified suspect was undergoing medical and mental examinations, according to the statement. Federal prosecutors and law enforcement officers initiated a criminal investigation. There was no early evidence of a potential motivation.
Police closed off Federal Square in front of the grand parliament building and adjoining streets for several hours while they despatched security teams — including fire squads and de-mining specialists, supported by a police dog and drones — to check an abandoned vehicle related with the suspect.
The security measures were withdrawn once it was determined that the car posed no threat, according to the police statement.