Man shot by police after negotiators deployed over ‘threats to kill’

A man is fighting for life in hospital after being shot by police in east London.

Officers rushed to a home in Walthamstow at around 10am this morning to reports of a man with a gun making threats.

Negotiators spent around four hours on the scene before officers forced their way in and shot the man, the Met Police said.

A spokesperson said: ‘It was reported a man inside the property had a firearm and was making threats to kill.

‘Officers and trained negotiators were on scene for a number of hours and a cordon remained in place.

‘At around 2pm, officers had reason to enter the property by force, and following this discharged their weapons.

‘The circumstances of what happened will form part of the investigation.’

The spokesperson added: ‘The man was treated at the scene by police medics and the London Ambulance Service. He is in a life-threatening condition in hospital.

‘Officers found what they believed to be a gun inside the property.

‘Cordons remain in place and we ask the public to stay away from the area. The incident is contained and there is no wider threat to the public.

‘The incident is being referred to the Directorate of Professional Standards, who in turn will make a mandatory referral to the IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct).’

An IOPC spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm that we have started an independent investigation into the actions of the Met Police during an incident at an address in Walthamstow, east London, where we understand a man was shot by police this afternoon and taken to hospital.

‘After being notified by the Met Police we declared an independent investigation at 4.13pm this afternoon and have sent investigators to the scene and to the post-incident procedure to begin gathering evidence.

‘Our investigation is in the very early stages.’

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