Police shoot man in planned operation

A man has died after being shot by Sussex Police in the centre of Brighton.

The shooting followed a pre-planned operation to find a man wanted in connection with a number of armed robberies when officers were deployed in the Kemp Town area of Brighton at lunchtime on February 10.

Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) attended and are conducting an independent investigation into the incident.

An IPCC spokeswoman said what appeared to be a black handgun has been recovered

“This will now be examined to establish whether it is real or an imitation weapon and whether it had been fired.”

The man has been named as 49-year-old Michael Fitzpatrick, who is believed to have been living in the Brighton area.

Superintendent Steve Whitton of Sussex Police said: “Shortly after 1pm this afternoon a man was shot by armed officers in Rock Place, on the seafront in Brighton. He was taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

“The armed officers were deployed on a pre-planned operation to locate a man wanted in connection with a number of armed robberies in Sussex over recent months.”