Man ‘armed with crossbow’ shot dead by police in south London
A man has been shot dead by police after reportedly trying to break into a house armed with a crossbow in south London.
Police were called to reports of a man attempting to force entry to a residential property in Bywater Place, Surrey Quays, at about 4.55am on Tuesday, 30 January.
It was reported that the man, believed to be aged in his thirties, was armed with weapons including a crossbow and was threatening to harm residents inside the address, the Metropolitan Police said.
The force said: “Local officers attended and attempted to speak to the man but, after being threatened, armed officers were called and quickly attended the scene.”
Officers and paramedics from the London Ambulance Service immediately provided first aid but the man died at the scene.
Enquiries are ongoing to inform his next of kin.
Two people at the address received minor injuries.
A referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as is routine following a fatal police shooting.
Detective Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, responsible for policing Southwark, said: “My thoughts are with all those affected by this incident.
“I understand the local community will be concerned at the events that have taken place this morning. We will fully support the IOPC investigation into the full circumstances of what happened.”
An IOPC spokesperson confirmed the watchdog has launched an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting.
They added: “We were notified by the MPS [Met Police] after the incident, which occurred shortly before 5am, and declared an independent investigation at around 6.40am.
“We have sent investigators to the scene and the police post-incident procedure to begin gathering evidence.”
In the year to 31 March, 2023 there were a total of three fatal police shootings in the UK.
The most recent fatal Met shooting was the death of Giedrius Vasiljevas, 40, who was shot at his home in Dagenham, east London, in November.
Vasiljevas, a 40-year-old Lithuanian national, died after he was shot by an officer after calling 999 to say he had loaded guns and wanted to take his own life.
This is a breaking news story and is being updated
