The Public Security Police (PSP) arrested a 26-year-old man on Thursday inside the Sete Rios railway station, in the parish of São Domingos de Benfica, on suspicion of threatening behavior with a bladed weapon.
The Lisbon Metropolitan Command of the PSP disclosed in a statement released this Friday that the incident began inside a train traveling between Pragal and Sete Rios.
During the journey, the suspect exhibited “disorderly and abusive behaviors towards other passengers in the carriage” and “verbally provoked a passenger who was accompanied by two minor children, repeatedly pressing a backpack against her body.”
The situation was witnessed by a police officer who was on the train on his way to his place of duty. The officer was “in plain clothes.”
Seeing the events unfold, the officer “intervened preventively, drawing the suspect’s attention” and, according to the Directorate of the Public Security Police, “exchanged seats with the lady.”
However, the man “took out a large pair of scissors from his backpack, wielding it threateningly towards the officer.”
“Faced with the imminent attack, and adhering to the principles of legality, necessity, and proportionality, the officer passively used his firearm, immobilizing the suspect on the ground and immediately neutralizing the threat,” the PSP stated.
The action was then supported by two other officers who were also on the train, “allowing the arrest to be carried out safely and without injuries.”
The man was taken to a PSP station, “where the detention was formalized and appropriate procedural measures were undertaken.” He was later notified to appear in court.
The measure of restraint applied to him is still unknown.
A video of this intervention is already circulating on social networks. The PSP clarifies, in light of “misinformation meanwhile shared on some digital platforms and social networks,” that “no confrontation between third parties occurred, no firearm shots were fired, and there were no victims or injuries during the incident.”
“The police intervention was individual, controlled, and strictly adjusted to the specific threat,” emphasized the security force, which “reaffirms its commitment to citizen safety, compliance with legality, and the provision of reliable information.”
In the same note, the PSP also reiterates an appeal for responsible content sharing, “highlighting the risks misinformation poses to public confidence in institutions and community security perception.”
Polícia/militar à paisana em Sete Rios imobiliza indivíduo no chão ?
O que aconteceu, alguém sabe?
Parece uma glock?Pela forma de actuar, parece membro de alguma unidade especial da PSP. pic.twitter.com/GpKZ1fD5kq
— DrG (@DrGPT1) July 17, 2025
[Updated at 10:45 PM]
