A man is in hospital after being shot by police in Walthamstow, north-east London, following a standoff that lasted around four hours. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into the incident.
Police were called at 10am on Friday by the man's family, who reported that he was inside a property armed with a firearm and threatening to harm himself. Officers and negotiators attended the scene, and the man allegedly threatened to seriously harm anyone entering the address and to shoot himself.
At about 2pm, officers entered the property by force after hearing a bang from inside. Weapons were discharged as they entered. The man was treated at the scene by police medics and the London Ambulance Service before being taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition. His condition has since been assessed as non-life threatening but life-changing.
The IOPC has sent investigators to the scene and to the post-incident procedure. Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist expressed thoughts for the injured man and his family, noting that incidents where officers discharge firearms are rare and that a full investigation is underway.
Cordons remain in place around the property, and police have stated there is no wider threat to the public.
