Kensington: Man shot three times by police says watchdog

An eyewitness told the BBC they saw police "with assault rifles surround a black van"

Two police marksmen shot a suspected gunman three times as he travelled in the back of a taxi, the police watchdog said.

The man, in his mid-20s, died after being shot in the back of a black Mercedes in Kensington Gardens at 15:00 GMT on Saturday.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the taxi driver was unhurt.

The watchdog said the investigation was still in the early stages.

Following the shooting the Met said officers had been responding to reports of a man with a firearm entering a bank and bookmakers in Kensington before stopping a vehicle at about 15:20 GMT on Saturday.

The IOPC said a suspected non-police issue firearm was recovered from the scene and needed to be forensically examined.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene after being shot

A post mortem examination is due to take place on Thursday.

Body worn camera footage is being reviewed and the officers are being treated as witnesses, the IOPC said.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing a man being shot three times in the taxi before being "dragged out" and arrested.

Police officers and paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and air ambulance tried to save the man but he was pronounced dead at 16:08.

IOPC regional director Graham Beesley said: "We have made contact with the man's family to explain our role and I send them my condolences for their loss. My thoughts are with everyone affected.

"Our enquiries are at an early stage and we will be reviewing body-worn video footage from the officers involved as part of our investigation. I can assure everyone that we will carefully examine the circumstances to establish what happened and why."