A car sped through the Vatican’s eastern St. Anne’s Gate on Thursday evening, breaking through two checkpoints of the Swiss Guard and the Vatican Gendarmerie, the Holy See announced.
According to the information, the car first approached the gate, but the Swiss Guard refused to enter. The driver then made a U-turn. then drove to the entrance. While detaining the vehicle, Vatican security tried to shoot out its front wheel. Even though the shot from the pistol hit the front left fender, the car continued on until it reached the Cortile di San Damaso, or the back yard of the Apostolic Palace, writes Reuters.
There, the driver got out of his vehicle without being prompted and was detained by security.
The man in his forties was immediately subjected to a medical examination. The Vatican health directorate diagnosed him with a mental disorder. The man is currently in the custody of the Vatican Gendarmerie.
It is not yet known whether Pope Francis was near the incident. The head of the Catholic Church has his accommodation on the other side of the Vatican City, in the Saint Martha-house.
