Pistol found at Greenwich bridge police shooting scene, IOPC says

The man who was shot was airlifted to hospital

A pistol was recovered after a man was shot by armed officers on a bridge in south-east London, the police watchdog has said.

The Met Police received multiple reports of a man with a firearm on Creek Road, Greenwich, last Friday.

Police responding to the calls shot the man, who was airlifted to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The firearm recovered was a "BB calibre airsoft pistol", the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.

In an update, it said the man, aged 36, was shot in the abdomen.

"During this incident the man was Tasered before a Met officer discharged a single shot," the IOPC said.

Regional director Sal Naseem said the recovered pistol had been subjected to ballistic testing.

He added: "The discharge of police firearms is rare but when this occurs it is important a thorough and independent investigation takes place.

"We are working to establish all the circumstances surrounding the sequence of events which led to this man sustaining his injuries.

"Our investigation is still in its very early stages."

IOPC investigators have gathered body-worn footage from the officers, as well as CCTV and eyewitness accounts as part of their investigation.

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