Two Officers Injured Tackling A Knife-Wielding Man At Connecticut Naval Submarine Base

Two Navy civilian police officers were injured when they confronted a knife-wielding man at the Naval Submarine Base New London in Connecticut, media reports said, citing authorities. The man had reportedly tried to enter the base through a pedestrian gate at the main entrance to the base in Groton at about 7 p.m. on Thursday.

An officer who was guarding the gate opened fire to stop the suspect, who was later taken into custody and was handed over to the Groton police, CBS News reported. The suspect was unhurt but one police officer received a minor stab wound on his leg while another was hit by ricocheting bullets. The injured police officers were taken to a hospital and released later in the day. State and local police are investigating the case in collaboration with the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, or NCIS.

“The shots were not warning shots,” Christopher Zendan, the submarine base's spokesperson, said, according to The Day, a local newspaper, adding: “They were fired by a Navy Civilian Police Officer who perceived a threat from a belligerent civilian suspect allegedly brandishing a knife.”

The charges against the suspect will be brought by NCIS, which is in charge of the investigation, The Day reported, citing Groton Town Police Lt. Brian Dawson. A Navy Judge Advocate General was also reportedly brought to the location to confirm that the incident occurred on naval property and to confirm jurisdiction in the case. The agencies have not revealed the suspect's name so far.

"We have no indications at this time that this was in any way terrorist-related," Zendan said, according to Reuters.

The base’s main gate remained closed, according to reports, which added that the suspect was taken to a hospital for observation, following the incident.