A man armed with a crossbow has been shot dead by armed police after trying to force his way into a building in south-east London, police have said.
Neighbours heard “bangs and screaming” as police descended on the quiet estate during the early hours of the morning, with one young girl telling her father: “Papa, I heard someone get shot.”
The Metropolitan Police said the man, who was in his 30s, was attempting to gain access to a building in Bywater Place, Surrey Quays, shortly before 5am on Tuesday and was threatening to hurt the people inside.
Unarmed officers tried to speak to him but were threatened, and when police marksmen arrived he had got into the building and was shot.
He was given first aid but died at the scene, while two occupants in the building received minor injuries.
Police are currently trying to contact his family and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation.