Driver ‘in his 60s’ shot dead after crash ‘pointed handgun at girl’

A driver who was shot dead by armed police after a crash was seen pointing a pistol at a girl before fleeing the scene by running through a housing estate. 

Witnesses said they saw the man brandishing a handgun following the collision between a car and a Mercedes van on London Road in Thetford, Norfolk, at 8.25pm on Sunday. 

Armed response officers swooped on the scene and the suspect, believed to be in his 60s, was shot around half a mile from the crash on the A11. 

He received first aid but was declared dead at the scene shortly before 10.15pm. 

The shooting unfolded after members of the public reported seeing a man carrying a black gun on London Road and heading towards a Sainsbury’s store. 

He was approached and shot by police while walking in a northbound direction on the southbound carriageway of the A11. 

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has since launched an investigation into the shooting. 

Yesterday, the watchdog confirmed ‘two shots were fired by police shortly before 9pm’ on Sunday. 

It remains unclear whether the two drivers involved in the crash were known to each other.

According to The Sun, witnesses claim to have seen the man ‘point a gun at a girl’ before running through a nearby housing estate. 

Another witness described seeing a ‘big man’ and said there were two to three women screaming following the crash. 

The person, who did not want to be identified, said: ‘It was 8pm. In front of the gate [to the cemetery] was a car and there was another opposite.

‘I heard something like a crash and nothing else. I had been watching TV and heard the noise and watched from the house.

‘There was something like a van and a grey car saloon. The van was grey too. When I realised something had happened I went out.

‘The car had been heading towards Sainsbury’s [the roundabout] and the van was heading towards the town centre. It was strange because it looked as though they had both spun around.

‘The van had turned in the crash and so had the car. The van had damaged doors on the passenger side. So it must have turned, otherwise I don’t understand how it was possible.

‘The small car was also damaged on the passenger side. They were both right hand drives.

‘I cannot imagine how it’s possible they could have touched each other.

‘Both the cars were empty by the time I came out. It was about five minutes after. But people were on the pavement about 10 metres from the car. They were screaming. They were very loud.

‘It was two or three women and a big man.’ 

Norfolk Police said they found a badly damaged Mercedes van at the scene of the crash. 

The force said the vehicle was empty and that the airbag had gone off by the time officers arrived. 

The other vehicle, a Honda Jazz, was damaged on one side. The driver of the car sustained minor injuries but declined hospital treatment.  

IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: ‘Fatal police shootings are rare, however when they do occur it’s essential that an independent investigation is carried out into the actions and decision-making of the officers involved.

‘Our investigation is in its initial stages and we are in the process of obtaining and reviewing evidence as we begin to piece together the circumstances surrounding this incident.’

The busy A11 passes through retail parks, fast food restaurants and an industrial estate where people work through the night.

There are no roads leading off the housing estate directly opposite the cemetery and no roads leading off the London Road directly either side of the cemetery.

Assistant Chief Constable David Buckley from Norfolk Police added: ‘We understand this incident will cause concern in the community. 

‘Our highly trained armed officers deploy to hundreds of firearms related calls each year, but incidents where police discharge firearms are thankfully incredibly rare.

‘A full and independent investigation is already underway.

‘We are of course cooperating fully with the IOPC investigation and will be handing over all bodyworn footage and 999 calls to ensure transparency.

‘We are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.’