Dramatic footage has emerged showing the moment police officers shot the two men suspected in the killing of a soldier in Woolwich.
The video, obtained by the Mirror, shows one of the suspects running directly towards a police car, which contained a female officer before colleagues open fire.
Former Detective Chief Inspector Peter Kirkham, told the newspaper: "The female officer only has her Taser out and must have been terrified. They [the other officers] had no option but to open fire to stop them.
"I have never seen anything like this before, or even heard of it happening before. For two suspects to carry out a brutal attack like this then stand around in plain sight waiting for the police is crazy.
"The instant they spot the police car come round the corner they are on it straight away. The first one is sprinting full speed towards the cops before they have even got out the car."
The birds-eye video was filmed from a tower block overlooking the scene. Eight shots can be heard, as people scream nearby.
On Thursday, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has said it is not pursuing any criminal or misconduct offences over the police officers who used their weapons at the scene of the attack in Woolwich yesterday.
After viewing CCTV footage, investigators said that two officers fired guns and one used a Taser.
IPCC commissioner Derrick Campbell said: "Officers have provided initial statements and we will be obtaining additional accounts.
"The IPCC is independently verifying information regarding the circumstances of this incident and we can promise the Woolwich community, and wider public, that our investigation will be thorough."
