UK police kill man ‘carrying handgun’ after car crash

A man was shot dead by police in Thetford, Norfolk, after allegedly fleeing the scene of a two-car crash while holding a handgun, the force has confirmed.

Norfolk Constabulary said officers were called to reports of a collision on a stretch of London Road on Sunday night.

According to a force statement obtained by our correspondent on its website on Monday, the man, believed to be the driver of one of the vehicles, “left the scene holding what was described as a handgun.”

Armed officers attended and shot the suspect “a short distance away.” The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Assistant Chief Constable David Buckley said: “We understand this incident will cause concern in the community. Our highly trained armed officers deploy to hundreds of firearms related calls each year, but incidents where police discharge firearms are thankfully incredibly rare.

“A full and independent investigation is already underway. We are of course cooperating fully with the IOPC investigation and will be handing over all bodyworn footage and 999 calls to ensure transparency.

We are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.”

The force also confirmed it had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is standard procedure when a British police officer shoots and kills someone.

Highways England reported that the A11 remains closed in both directions from the Thetford Ranges roundabout to the Brandon Road roundabout amid the police investigation. The closure is expected to remain in place until mid-morning or early afternoon, with reopening anticipated between 2.30pm and 2.45pm on Monday.

Buckley added: “Norfolk was relatively crime free not so long ago but you only have to read the names in the local court cases to see where much of it is coming from. A huge influx pre Brexit.”

The shooting brings the total number of people shot dead by police in the UK to 88 since 1990, with 16 deaths occurring since 2020.

No further suspects are being sought in connection with the incident, the force concluded.

Culled from punch.