Crossbow, sword and hatchet found after police shoot man who tried to break into south London home, watchdog says

30 January 2024, 19:08 | Updated: 30 January 2024, 20:40

Man ‘armed with crossbow’ shot dead by police in south-east London

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

A man who was shot dead by cops in south London was carrying a crossbow, hatchet, knife and a sword, the police watchdog said, as it confirmed it had launched an investigation into his death.

Police were called to the scene at the house in Southwark at around 5am following reports that a man had been trying to force entry into the property.

The man was also threatening to harm residents inside the address, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said this evening. He was known to at least one of the occupants in the house.

Local police tried to speak to the man, who eventually gained access to the house, before calling in armed police for help.

The armed police entered the house, where the man was shot twice and killed.

"Among the weapons found at the scene were crossbows, a knife, a sword and a hatchet," the IOPC said.

Regional director Mel Palmer said:“Our thoughts are with all of those affected by this tragic incident. The man’s next of kin have been informed and, in due course, we will be contacting them to explain our role.

"We will keep them regularly updated throughout our investigation.

"Given a man has died after being shot by police, our role is to independently investigate all of the circumstances surrounding this incident including the actions and decisions taken by the police.

"We appreciate that the community will want answers quickly and our investigators are working hard to establish the facts and piece together what occurred.”

Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist, who has overall responsibility for firearms, said: “The first unarmed officers knew they were arriving on scene to reports of man armed with weapons and threatening to harm people inside an address.

“The officers knew there were people inside and had genuine fears for their safety.

“Armed officers were called and attempted to get the man to surrender. They entered the property and shots were fired.

“The officers, assisted by paramedics, provided emergency first aid to the man, who was wearing body armour, but he sadly died.“Weapons recovered from the scene include crossbows, a knife, a sword and a hatchet.

“This is an extremely difficult day for everyone involved.

“I would like to pay tribute to the bravery of all our officers who responded and thank all the emergency service staff involved.

“I firmly believe their actions prevented further loss of life.”