The deceased man, armed with a crossbow, attempted to break into an apartment and kill its residents.
On Tuesday, police in London shot a man who was threatening to use a crossbow, MTI reported based on a report from Scotland Yard. According to information, the 30-year-old man, who was in possession of other weapons in addition to the bow, tried to forcefully enter an apartment in the Southwark area in the central region of the British capital and threatened to kill the residents.
The man also threatened the oncoming police patrol. After an armed police force arrived at the scene, they stormed the apartment and the police shot him. The police and ambulances that arrived at the scene provided first aid to the victim, but he died instantly. During the incident, two people who were in the apartment sustained minor injuries.
Police information confirms that armed police units patrol the streets of London on a daily basis, but they rarely have to use their firearms.
In Britain – where street patrol officers not trained in commando or counter-terrorism typically do not carry firearms – the use of firearms by police is extremely rare, and there are hardly any examples of armed attacks on police officers. The last serious incident occurred twelve years ago, when two unarmed policewomen were shot dead in Manchester by a man who was wanted for two previous murders. In 2013, the perpetrator was sentenced to life imprisonment. A previous police killing of similar severity occurred in 1966, when convicted criminals shot dead three police officers in London. One of the perpetrators of this crime died in prison, while the other spent 48 years behind bars, but was released on parole in 2014 at the age of 78.
