Man shot by Met Police after threats to kill

Officers were called to an address in Stow Crescent to reports of a man with a firearm making threats to kill

A man has life-changing injuries after being shot by Metropolitan Police officers who entered a property in north-east London by force.

The force said officers had been called to an address in Stow Crescent, Walthamstow, at about 10:00 BST on Friday to reports of a man with a gun making threats to kill.

Trained negotiators were called to the scene, and at about 14:00 officers entered the property and discharged their weapons after hearing a bang inside. They found what they believed to be a gun inside the property, the Met said.

The force said the incident was being referred to the Department of Professional Standards, which would refer it to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The Met said that it was called to the property, and the man was alone inside. He was threatening to harm himself, and after a number of hours, threatened to seriously harm anyone coming into the address and shoot himself, the force said.

The circumstances of what happened before the officers entered the property, and once they were inside, will form part of an investigation, the Met said.

'Incredibly rare'

The man was treated at the scene by police medics and the London Ambulance Service, and is now in hospital, the Met said.

People have been asked to stay away from the area, where a police cordon remains in place.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said: "Our thoughts at this time are with the injured man and his family.

"I know this news will be concerning for the community in Walthamstow and the wider public in London. However, I want to reassure you, incidents where officers discharge their firearms are incredibly rare.

"It is right that there is a full investigation into the circumstances around this incident, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct is leading this. This process must take its course and while that is ongoing it would be inappropriate for us to comment further."

A spokesperson for the IOPC 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."

They said they had sent investigators to the scene and begun the post-incident procedure for gathering evidence.