Drummond
02-02-2020, 01:47 PM
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-51349664
A man has been shot dead by police in south London after he attacked people on a busy high street.
Three people were injured in what police described as a "terrorist-related" incident. One person is in a life-threatening condition.
Gunshots were heard on Streatham High Road just after 14:00 GMT on Sunday.
Some reports suggest a man entered a shop and started stabbing people. It appears he then left the shop and stabbed a woman, possibly a cyclist.
Witnesses reported hearing three gun shots and a man was seen lying on the floor, as armed police approached.
London Ambulance Service said it treated three people for injuries at the scene and all were taken to hospital. One had minor injuries and the third person's condition is not life-threatening.
One eyewitness told how he saw the shooting take place in front of a Boots pharmacy.
"I was crossing the road when I saw a man with a machete and silver canisters on his chest being chased by what I assume was an undercover police officer," he told the PA news agency.
"The man was then shot. I heard three gunshots."
I've spent my afternoon listening to reports on LBC radio. Firstly, when this was initially reported, the police officially categorised it all as a 'Very Serious Incident'
About an hour later, this was changed to a 'Terrorist Related Incident'.
No doubt more facts need to emerge. Fact is, though, that most of our police are not armed. We do have 'armed response units' of police, called into action when it's judged necessary. Central London (e.g the London Bridge attack) sees far more armed police permanently present than is normally true, because that region is judged to be a more likely target, and in places 'security-sensitive' (e.g Parliament, Whitehall, Buckingham Palace). But ... Streatham, where this happened, I think would lie outside of that central London radius ... YET ... armed police were immediately to hand.
There's been commentary on how remarkable it was that armed units were on the scene that quickly.
A man has been shot dead by police in south London after he attacked people on a busy high street.
Three people were injured in what police described as a "terrorist-related" incident. One person is in a life-threatening condition.
Gunshots were heard on Streatham High Road just after 14:00 GMT on Sunday.
Some reports suggest a man entered a shop and started stabbing people. It appears he then left the shop and stabbed a woman, possibly a cyclist.
Witnesses reported hearing three gun shots and a man was seen lying on the floor, as armed police approached.
London Ambulance Service said it treated three people for injuries at the scene and all were taken to hospital. One had minor injuries and the third person's condition is not life-threatening.
One eyewitness told how he saw the shooting take place in front of a Boots pharmacy.
"I was crossing the road when I saw a man with a machete and silver canisters on his chest being chased by what I assume was an undercover police officer," he told the PA news agency.
"The man was then shot. I heard three gunshots."
I've spent my afternoon listening to reports on LBC radio. Firstly, when this was initially reported, the police officially categorised it all as a 'Very Serious Incident'
About an hour later, this was changed to a 'Terrorist Related Incident'.
No doubt more facts need to emerge. Fact is, though, that most of our police are not armed. We do have 'armed response units' of police, called into action when it's judged necessary. Central London (e.g the London Bridge attack) sees far more armed police permanently present than is normally true, because that region is judged to be a more likely target, and in places 'security-sensitive' (e.g Parliament, Whitehall, Buckingham Palace). But ... Streatham, where this happened, I think would lie outside of that central London radius ... YET ... armed police were immediately to hand.
There's been commentary on how remarkable it was that armed units were on the scene that quickly.