IOPC opens investigation into fatal police shooting

Police first received reports of a man with a firearm in Kensington, central London, at around 3pm on Saturday December 11.

Around 20 minutes later officers in a marked police car, who were responding to those reports, approached a taxi when it stopped by Kensington Gardens.

Shots were fired by officers and a man in his mid-20s, who was in the back of the taxi, sustained gunshot wounds. Officers provided first aid and paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and London Air Ambulance also attended. The man was pronounced dead at the scene at 4.08pm.

IOPC investigators were sent to the scene to gather evidence and oversee forensic examinations. They also attended the police post-incident procedures where officers involved provided their initial accounts. All officers are being treated as witnesses at this stage.

The IOPC has also gathered police body-worn video and is collating CCTV footage from the area. An account has been provided by the taxi driver who was not hurt during the incident.

It has been established that a total of three shots were fired by two officers. A non-police issue firearm was recovered from the scene and is undergoing forensic testing.

IOPC Regional Director Graham Beesley said: “We have made contact with the man’s family to explain our role and I send them my condolences for their loss. My thoughts are with everyone affected.

“Our inquiries are at an early stage and we will be reviewing body-worn video footage from the officers involved as part of our investigation. I can assure everyone that we will carefully examine the circumstances to establish what happened and why.”