Civilian Breaches MacDill Air Force Base, Attacks Responding Officers

A civilian breached the perimeter of MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, on Saturday afternoon and subsequently engaged in a violent confrontation with responding officers. The incident occurred around 1 p.m. when the unauthorized individual forced their way onto the base.

According to a statement from the 6th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office, security forces were dispatched to the scene, where they encountered the civilian. During the apprehension, the individual "violently engaged" with the officers.

Both the civilian and the responding officers sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were taken for medical evaluation. Authorities have not yet released details regarding the assailant's identity or their motives for breaching the base.

MacDill Air Force Base, which serves as the headquarters for U.S. Central Command, issued a notice via Facebook shortly before 2:30 p.m. Eastern time, stating that the Dale Mabry Gate was closed to all traffic until further notice. The base advised people to avoid the area, while the Bayshore Gate remained open.

The Dale Mabry Gate is typically operational 24 hours a day, while the Bayshore Gate is generally closed on Saturdays and Sundays. The base houses a significant number of active-duty military personnel.

This incident follows previous security concerns at MacDill Air Force Base this year. In March, a man named Alen Zheng was charged with attempting to detonate an improvised explosive device at the base's visitor's center. The device was safely dismantled by law enforcement. Zheng's sister, Ann Mary Zheng, was also charged with aiding her brother in evading capture. Additionally, in March, Jonathan James Elder was accused of making threatening calls to the base referencing the earlier explosive device incident, which led to a temporary lockdown.

An investigation into Saturday's breach and assault is currently ongoing.