Romford shooting leaves man dead as police cordon off petrol station in East London
AN armed man has been shot dead by police at a petrol station in East London today.
Police were called at 3.50am by a man making threats and claiming to have a gun in Collier Row, Romford.
When officers arrived at the house the man had left but was still armed, Metropolitan Police said.
Less than an hour later, at 4.45am, he was shot by cops at an Esso petrol station.
The man in his 40s was pronounced dead 30 minutes later.
It is the seventh fatal shooting in London this year and comes amid a wave of violence in the capital.
The city's murder rate - 56 in 2018 - overtook New York for the first time ever.
Neighbours described hearing two gun shots coming from the petrol station in the early hours of this morning.
Resident Tracy Green, 39, said: "I just heard 'bang bang' and thought that sounded like gun shots - it was really close to here so it woke me up.
"I woke up then I saw all of it taped off here."
Linda Leonce, 45, who lives in nearby Lodge Lane, said: "I was woken by a few kind of 'pop, pop' sounds and then there were some sirens."
One witness claimed the man was armed with an air rifle.
He is also said to have told police he had a hostage and was gunned down as he pointed the rifle at officers, the witness claims.
An image posted on Twitter shows the Esso petrol station forecourt where the man died.
A Met Police spokesman refused to confirm or deny the witness's claims and whether a gun was recovered at the scene.
The Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed and the case has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Officers have cordoned off Lowshoe Lane near the junction with Melville Road.
One Twitter user said: "Nice start to the week. Gunshots and actual bodies in Collier Row. S*** is getting real in these streets."
The case has also been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.A Met Police spokesman said: "At approximately 3.50am on Monday April 9, police were called by a man making threats and claiming he was in possession of a firearm at an address in Collier Row.
"Firearms officers attended the location and were informed the man had left the address, armed with a firearm.
"At approximately 4.45am a man - believed to be aged in his 40s - was shot by police in the vicinity of Collier Row Road and Lodge Lane.
"He was pronounced dead at the scene at 5.17am."
Meanwhile, a man was arrested near the petrol station today.
The cuffed man was dragged into the back of a police van just yards from the petrol station where the shooting happened.
About 15 minutes earlier a van had been seen driving through the police tape, but it is not known whether the arrest is linked.
The van tore through a police cordon on Collier Row Road despite police officers warning the driver to stop.
It then drove in the direction of the garage before turning out of sight.
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Timeline of fatal shootings
- February 12 Taxi driver Bulent Kabala, 41, shot dead on a roundabout in Enfield
- March 8 Kelvin Odunuyi, 19, shot in Wood Green amid escalating gang warfare
- March 14 Joseph Williams-Torres, 20, shot dead in a stationary car in Walthamstow
- March 25 Abraham Badru, 26, shot in Dalston, East London, without warning
- April 2 Tanesha Melbourne, 17, gunned down by drug gang in Tottenham
- April 2 Amaan Shakoor, 16, shot in the face outside Walthamstow Leisure Centre
Roads around where the shooting took place are still closed.
It comes amid a spate of shootings and stabbings in the capital.
Metropolitan Police have launched at least 56 murder investigations this year.
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