Antwerp police arrest erratic driver with weapons in car

Police in Antwerp arrested a man on Thursday who drove a car down the city’s main shopping street, Meir, narrowly missing pedestrians. Despite early suspicions, however, it seems increasingly unlikely that the man, Mohammed R, was carrying out a terrorist act.

Meir (pictured) is a pedestrian street, but suppliers are allowed to make deliveries to shops before 11.00. That was when R raced his car down the street, though it remains unclear why.

Witnesses spoke of how he passed at high speed, before being flagged down by soldiers on foot patrol. As they approached, he took off again, to be stopped by police 1.5km away on the riverside.

The man, a French national, was found to be heavily under the influence of alcohol and wearing camouflage trousers. Other items of military clothing were found in the car, together with a shotgun and several large knives.

He is known to French police for crimes involving drugs and the possession of illegal weapons, but has shown no extremist tendencies. He was incapable of responding to questions yesterday and will be questioned today.

At a press conference held yesterday afternoon, Antwerp mayor Bart De Wever speculated that a serious incident had been avoided and said there would be an increased presence of police and military.