A man has sustained serious life-altering injuries following a shooting by Metropolitan Police officers who forcibly entered a residence in north-east London.

According to the police, officers were dispatched to an address on Stow Crescent, Walthamstow, around 10:00 BST on Friday in response to reports of an individual making threats to kill with a firearm.

Trained negotiators were summoned to the location, and around 14:00, officers breached the property after hearing a loud noise from within. Upon entering, they discovered what appeared to be a firearm inside the home, as reported by the Metropolitan Police.

The police force indicated that the incident would be referred to the Department of Professional Standards, which will further pass it on to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Authorities reported that they were alerted to the property where the man was alone. He had been threatening self-harm and, after several hours, began to make threats against anyone who might enter, indicating he would harm himself with a firearm.

The details surrounding the events leading up to the officers’ entry, as well as the circumstances inside the property, will be part of the ongoing investigation, according to the Met.

The injured man received medical attention on-site from police medics and the London Ambulance Service and has since been taken to a hospital, as stated by the Met.

Residents have been urged to avoid the area, where police have established a cordon.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist expressed, “Our thoughts are with the injured man and his family during this difficult time. I understand this incident will raise concerns in the Walthamstow community and across London. However, I want to emphasize that such incidents involving the discharge of firearms by officers are extremely rare.”

He added, “It is essential that a comprehensive investigation into the details of this incident takes place, with the IOPC leading the inquiry. We must allow this process to unfold, and it would be inappropriate for us to provide further commentary at this stage.”

A representative from the IOPC confirmed, “We have initiated an independent investigation concerning the Metropolitan Police’s actions during the incident in Walthamstow, where it is reported that a man was shot by officers and subsequently hospitalized.”

They informed that investigators have already been dispatched to the scene to commence the evidence-gathering process following the incident.