'Crossbow-wielding' man shot dead by armed police after forcing his way into south London house
30 January 2024, 09:59 | Updated: 30 January 2024, 11:45
Man ‘armed with crossbow’ shot dead by police in south-east London
A man armed with a crossbow and other weapons who forced his way into a house in south London has been shot dead by armed police.
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Police said they were called to Bywater Place in Southwark to reports that an armed man was trying to break into a property and was threatening to harm those inside.
Local officers tried to talk to him but he threatened them so they called for armed backup.
When the man got inside, police opened fire and he was shot. He died at the scene despite the efforts of paramedics.
Detective Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, responsible for policing Southwark, said: “My thoughts are with all those affected by this incident.
“I understand the local community will be concerned at the events that have taken place this morning. We will fully support the IOPC investigation into the full circumstances of what happened.”
A Met spokesman added: “Armed officers are highly trained and patrol the streets of London on a daily basis, dealing with challenging, fast moving and often dangerous situations to try and protect the public and their unarmed colleagues.
“They discharge their weapons very rarely and all officers understand and expect that when they do, their actions will be closely scrutinised.”
The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed and a referral has been made to the IOPC in line with standard procedures for all police firearms shooting incidents.
An IOPC spokesman said: "We have begun an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of a man by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) earlier this morning in Southwark.
"We were notified by the MPS after the incident, which occurred shortly before 5am, and declared an independent investigation at around 6.40am.
"We have sent investigators to the scene and the police post-incident procedure to begin gathering evidence.
"Our investigation is in its very early stages."
