Armed police shot a man dead this afternoon near Kensington Palace.
Metropolitan Police were called to reports of a man who entered a bank and bookmakers in Marloes Road, Kensington at 3.04pm.
The man was then seen getting into a vehicle and fleeing.
Less than 15 minutes later, armed police stopped a vehicle less than a mile away at Kensington Road and Palace Gate.
Metropolitan Police said shots were fired and despite the best efforts of the emergency services he was pronounced dead at 4.08pm.
Today's incident is not being treated as terrorism.
The London Ambulance Service and London Air Ambulance attended the scene.
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Police say they are now working to confirm the man's identity and inform the next of kin.
The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed and the incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
One witness who saw the incident unfold said the shot man had been a passenger in a black cab.
He said: "I was driving past when I saw the police cut up a black cab, so I did a u-turn and as I got out of the car I saw the police fire two shots and another shot after three or four seconds.
"I was standing around 20 metres away. I saw them drag him out of the black cab. They handcuffed him while he was on the floor.
"He was struggling at the start but they had him under control. By then they realised he couldn't breathe or was struggling for his breath so they quickly started first aid and CPR.
"After that, the police told us to get back so I left."
Witnesses told MyLondon they thought they saw a paramedic giving chest compressions to one person and that they saw armed police.
Officers confirmed today's incident is not connected to the palace - the home of Prince William, Kate Middleton and their three children.
Footage from the scene shows multiple police cars and a large cordon in place.
One eyewitness told MyLondon: "We were by the gates of Hyde Park as three shots rang out. Two firearms officers over a man."
Author and journalist Millie Kerr, 40, who lives in the area was coming back from lunch in an Uber when she came to a standstill near the Palace Gate.
She told MyLondon: "I wasn't there when the incident took place, but I got out of my Uber and started walking.
"I headed through the park and saw what I'm 95 per cent sure was paramedics giving chest compressions to at least one person.
"It was next to a car but I don't think it looked like a car crash had happened. The helicopter has just left the area in the last five minutes."
A manager at a spa on Kensington Road said the guests are not allowed to leave the hotel as police told them to stay away from the windows.
The manager, who is not named, told the Evening Standard: “Police came in to see if we are ok and told us to keep our guests away from the windows wherever possible. All our windows are open at the back so to avoid people going out of the main entrance.
“Our guests aren’t allowed out still. We have another entrance and everyone is trying to get on normally.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperon said: "At 15:04hrs on Saturday, 11 December police were called to reports of a man with a firearm seen to enter a bank and bookmakers in Marloes Road, W8.
"The man was then seen to get into a vehicle and leave the area.
At 15:19hrs, armed officers stopped a vehicle at the junction of Kensington Road and Palace Gate, SW7.
"Shots were fired and a man sustained gunshot wounds.
"The London Ambulance Service and London Air Ambulance were called and the man was treated at the scene.
"Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, he was pronounced dead at 16:08hrs.
"Efforts are under way to confirm the man’s identity and to inform his next of kin.
"The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed and the incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
"A number of road closures are in place in the local area and are likely to remain in place for some time. The public are advised to avoid the area. The incident is not being treated as terrorism."
