Milton Keynes: Fatal police shooting 'necessary', watchdog finds

Kelvin Igweani was shot by officers after he held a child hostage and killed a neighbour

The shooting of a man by police as he held a toddler hostage after beating his neighbour to death was "necessary given the circumstances", the police watchdog has found.

Kelvin Igweani, 24, was shot twice at a house in Milton Keynes in June 2021 after an attempt to taser him failed.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found officers acted appropriately in the situation.

Thames Valley Police said it was a "tragic incident" for all involved.

On Wednesday an inquest jury in Milton Keynes concluded Mr Igweani's death was a lawful killing.

Police were called to reports of a domestic disturbance on the morning of 26 June 2021 at a property in Denmead, Two Mile Ash.

Two armed officers entered the flat and found the body of a man, identified later as neighbour Richard Woodcock.

Mr Woodcock, 38, had gone into the flat to help but was killed with a 4kg (8.8lb) kettlebell.

Richard Woodcock was previously described as a "hero" who went to help save the child

After officers arrived, Mr Igweani barricaded himself in another room with the child.

The IOPC said due to noises coming from the room there was reason to believe the child was being harmed and they forced entry. This caused a large wardrobe to fall on top of Mr Igweani and the child.

Mr Igweani moved towards officers with his arms raised and was shot at four times, with two hitting him.

The officer who fired the shots said they believed Mr Igweani had a knife in his hand, the IOPC said.

Mr Igweami, a Nigerian-born footballer who played in Germany's lower leagues, died at the scene. The toddler was taken to hospital with skull and facial fractures but survived.

An inquest into Mr Woodcock's death concluded he had been unlawfully killed.

IOPC Regional Director, Mel Palmer, said: "The evidence shows the officers perceived there to be an immediate threat to life as they had seen the body of Mr Woodcock when they entered the property and heard the cries of a distressed child in another room.

"The officers, who were presented with a traumatic and distressing situation, acted swiftly to gain entry to the room to prevent further injury to the child.

"We found the decision to shoot Mr Igweani was necessary, proportionate and reasonable in those circumstances.

"After the shots were fired, all of the firearms officers and other police who attended immediately attempted to save Mr Igweani's life."

Police were called to reports of a domestic disturbance on 26 June 2021

The IOPC said it also investigated concerns raised about Mr Igweani in the days before the shooting.

Four days earlier, his family contacted West Midlands Police with concerns about his mental health and were encouraged to seek medical help for him, which the watchdog found was an appropriate response.

A complaint was also made by the family about scene management after the incident but the IOPC found the force's actions to be appropriate.

Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable, Christian Bunt, said the force acknowledged the findings of the IOPC.

"This was a tragic incident for all those involved and my thoughts remain with everyone who has been affected by it," he said.