The police watchdog has launched an investigation after a man in his 60s was shot dead by officers in Norfolk. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it was examining what led police to fire twice after two vehicles crashed into each other in Thetford on Sunday evening.
Armed police were deployed after 999 calls reported a man seen with a firearm. He is believed to have been the driver of one of the vehicles involved in the crash on the A11. The IOPC said a non-police-issue firearm was found at the scene. Tests are under way to determine if the weapon found, which is understood to look like a handgun, could fire lethal bullets or was a replica.
Norfolk police said: “Officers were called to London Road at around 8.25pm on Sunday 28 December 2025 following reports of a two-vehicle collision. One man, believed to be the driver of one of the vehicles, left the scene holding what was described as a handgun. Armed response officers attended and the suspect was subsequently shot by police a short distance away.”
The IOPC said its investigators had taken initial accounts from the officers involved, examined police logs, and secured police body-worn video footage. Its director, Amanda Rowe, said: “Fatal police shootings are rare, however when they do occur it’s essential that an independent investigation is carried out into the actions and decision-making of the officers involved.”
