man in life-changing condition after being shot by police during four hour standoff

Police remained at the scene for several hours and a cordon stayed in place (Picture: Marcin Nowak/LNP)

A man has suffered ‘life-changing’ injuries after being shot by police in east London.

Officers were called to a home in Walthamstow at around 10am on Friday to reports of a man with a gun threatening to harm himself.

Negotiators spent around four hours on the scene before armed officers forced their way in and shot the man,the Met Police said.

The force said in a statement: ‘As the incident developed the man threatened to seriously harm anyone coming into the address and shoot himself.

‘At around 2pm officers entered after hearing a bang from inside. As they entered,weapons were discharged.

‘The circumstances of what happened prior to this and within the property will form part of the investigation.’

Police officers at the scene in Walthamstow (Picture: Marcin Nowak/LNP)

The man was taken to hospital with life-changing but not life-threatening injuries.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said: ‘Our thoughts at this time are with the injured man and his family.

‘I know this news will be concerning for the community in Walthamstow and the wider public in London.

‘However,I want to reassure you,incidents where officers discharge their firearms are incredibly rare.

‘It is right that there is a full investigation into the circumstances around this incident,and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is leading this.

‘This process must take its course and while that is ongoing it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.

To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro's London news hub.

Police were called to a standoff just after 10am on Friday (Picture: UKNIP)

‘Armed officers do a difficult job for London,they respond to 4,000 calls a year,placing themselves in danger to protect others.

‘They make split-second decisions in incredibly difficult and challenging circumstances,and I am grateful to all of them for their professionalism and bravery.

‘Our officers remain on scene and I would like to thank residents for their assistance and cooperation throughout the day.’

The Met says the incident is ‘contained’ and there is no wider threat to the public.

The exact circumstances are under investigation (Picture: UKNIP)

A Met Police spokesperson said: ‘The incident was referred to the Directorate of Professional Standards,who in turn made a mandatory referral to the IOPC who have declared an independent investigation.’

An IOPC spokesperson said on Friday: ‘We can confirm that we have started an independent investigation into the actions of the Met Police during an incident at an address in Walthamstow,east London,where we understand a man was shot by police this afternoon and taken to hospital.

‘After being notified by the Met Police we declared an independent investigation at 4.13pm this afternoon and have sent investigators to the scene and to the post-incident procedure to begin gathering evidence.

‘Our investigation is in the very early stages.’