Liverpool shooting: Woman shot by police 'critically ill'

Investigations are under way after a woman was shot by police in Toxteth

A woman shot by police on a Liverpool street is critically ill, the police watchdog has revealed.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it understood the woman, who was shot in Toxteth, had been "armed with a knife and acting in a threatening manner".

It added that a Taser was used but it could not confirm if "it made contact with the woman."

The woman was shot in the abdomen by a firearms officer in North Hill Street.

Following the shooting on Thursday, an IOPC spokesman said: "She is in a critical condition in hospital and police continue to search for next of kin."

Merseyside Police made a mandatory referral to the IOPC whose regional director Amanda Rowe said: "This is a tragic incident and my thoughts are with all those affected by the events yesterday.

"We hope to meet with the woman's family in due course to explain our role and offer our support."

Ms Rowe added they had obtained CCTV footage from the area and the police officer's body-cam video.

Officers were called to reports of a woman armed with a knife in Cairns Street at about 13:50 BST.

Merseyside Police said it was an "isolated incident" and there would be an increased police presence in the community over the next few days.

Supt Diane Pownall said: "I know that people in the Toxteth area and the wider communities of Merseyside may feel shocked by the incident that has taken place today.

"This was an isolated incident in which officers responded to a number of members of the public reporting a woman in possession of a knife in the Toxteth area."

The IOPC is appealing for witnesses

North Hill Street remains cordoned off after the shooting