Harrowing screams before man ‘armed with crossbow’ is shot dead by gun cops as weapons seen scattered on road
He had other weapons on him before armed police opened fire
HARROWING screams were heard as cops shot dead a man wielding a crossbow after he burst into a home in South East London.
He forced his way into the Southwark property at around 4.55am on Tuesday – threatening the occupants with weapons.
Neighbours reported “a man and a woman shouting” as cops charged to Bywater Place after a man reportedly tried to smash into a home.
Two occupants suffered injuries during the incident before the attacker threatened officers and armed police were called in.
In dramatic scenes, the man managed to get into the home before he was shot dead by gun cops.
An eyewitness managed to capture the moment cops surrounded the attacker just moments before he was killed.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police and paramedics provided first aid but the man, believed to be in his 30s, died at the scene.
His next of kin are yet to be informed.
Weapons, including crossbow bolts, scattered the road today as cops set up a cordon and forensics teams moved in.
Meanwhile aerial pictures show items including water bottles covering the pavement outside an address with crime scene markers placed next to them.
Steve Cornish, 70, who lives nearby, told The Sun how residents are “in shock” following the shooting.
He added: “There’s been incident’s here before – stabbings and fights but nothing like this.
“You get your standard crime in this area but a lot lower than other parts of London. Especially this cul-de-sac, it’s very very quiet.”
While resident Akbar Beloch, 53, said he heard a pounding noise around 5am and thought someone was trying to break into his car.
He added: “I heard a man and a woman shouting and I was in and out of sleep. Then a few minutes later we heard police sirens and all that noise.”
Valeria Bocanegra, 37, who also heard people screaming, told : “It was a woman and a man and I thought it was a couple fighting.”
DCS Seb Adjei-Addoh of Southwark’s Met Police said: “My thoughts are with all those affected by this incident.
“Armed officers are highly trained and patrol the streets of London on a daily basis, dealing with challenging, fast moving and often dangerous situations to try and protect the public and their unarmed colleagues.
“They discharge their weapons very rarely and all officers understand and expect that when they do, their actions will be closely scrutinised.”
The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed.
The incident was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) which has begun an independent investigation.
