Police officers have shot a man in the street in Wimbledon, south-west London, during a planned operation aimed at thwarting an alleged heist of cash.
The Metropolitan police said firearms officers joined officers from the flying squad for the operation on Monday at about 8.10am.
Police said the man who was shot was 23, and described his injuries as not life-threatening. He was arrested for conspiracy to rob. Another man, also aged 23, had been arrested during the operation for conspiracy to rob. Police also said they had recovered a stolen car at the scene.
All police shootings must be independently investigated, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has started an inquiry.
Its investigators are trying to establish how many police officers opened fire. One key question will be whether a non-police-issue firearm is recovered from the scene. The shooting happened in Lacock Close at around 8.10am on Monday morning.
In a statement the Met said: “A proactive operation was conducted by officers from the Met’s flying squad assisted by firearms officers.
“During the course of the operation, which took place in the street, a 23-year-old man was shot by police. He was taken by London ambulance service to a London hospital; his condition is not life-threatening. He has subsequently been arrested for conspiracy to rob.
“A second 23-year-old man [B] has been arrested for conspiracy to rob. He remains in custody. A suspected stolen car has been recovered at the scene.”
The Met’s internal directorate of professional standards was informed, as well as the IOPC.
The flying squad’s main focus is high-value robberies, and it is known for dramatic takedowns of alleged armed robbers.
Police insist their officers only open fire when necessary. In the year to March 2018, there were 12 incidents in which police firearms were discharged, out of 18,746 police firearms operations.
