Police shot a man in London after he allegedly threatened to kill people while armed with a firearm. The man remains in hospital in a life-threatening condition following the incident in Walthamstow on Friday morning.
Officers were called to reports of an armed man making threats to kill at a residential property in Stow Crescent at around 10:00. Emergency services launched a major response to contain the situation in the north-east London neighbourhood.
Police and trained negotiators spent approximately four hours attempting to resolve the incident peacefully. A cordon was established around the property while authorities worked to de-escalate the situation.
Police Response
Officers entered the property by force at around 14:00 after spending hours on scene. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "At around 14:00, officers had reason to enter the property by force, and following this discharged their weapons."
Emergency medical teams treated the man at the scene before transferring him to hospital. The spokesperson confirmed: "The man was treated at the scene by police medics and the London Ambulance Service. He is in a life-threatening condition in hospital."
Police discovered what they believed to be a weapon inside the property during their search. The spokesperson added: "Officers found what they believed to be a gun inside the property."
Investigation Launched
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has started an independent investigation into the police shooting. 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."
Investigators were sent to the scene and post-incident procedures began at 16:13 on Friday afternoon. The IOPC spokesperson confirmed: "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."
Police cordons remain in place around the property while the investigation continues. Authorities have confirmed there is no ongoing threat to public safety in the area.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
