Forest Hill armed police shooting: Firearms and Taser used on car suspect

Simon Bull, London24 editor Sunday, February 19, 2012
1:47 PM

A man was shot and wounded by armed police officers today in Forest Hill, Lewisham, south-east London.

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The man is in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

Police attended Elsinore Road in Forest Hill at around 5.40am after reports of a man attempting to break into a car.

Local officers approached the suspect but he threatened them with a “large bladed weapon”.

The man then approached officers in Stanstead Road and threatened them again.

Armed police arrived at the scene and used both Taser stun gun and firearms, which resulted in the man receiving gunshot wounds.

A Met Police spokesman said: “The circumstances will now be subject of an investigation.

“There are no further details at present but we can confirm a number of knives have been recovered from the scene.”

Roads are closed in the area due to the incident.

Police will be meeting with community members to relay the facts of this incident.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has launched an investigation.

A spokesman said the man in his early 20s, originally from Ghana but now of Forest Hill, was being treated at Kings College Hospital.

“The IPCC have deployed its on-call team and has decided this incident should be investigated independently,” the spokesman said.

IPCC commissioner Mike Franklin added: “This young man is receiving medical attention and his condition is described as critical.

“His family have been informed and have been taken to the hospital by the police so that they can be close to him.

“The IPCC investigation will be carried out by our own investigators and will look at the circumstances leading up to this shooting.”