Man ‘holding handgun’ shot dead by police after two-car crash in Thetford

A man believed to be carrying a handgun has been shot dead by police after a car crash in Norfolk.

Norfolk Police were called to London Road in Thetford at 8.35pm last night when a man, believed to be the driver of one of the vehicles, left the scene holding what was described as a handgun.

Armed response officers attended and the suspect was subsequently shot by police from ‘a short distance away’.

The force said he was pronounced dead at the scene despite the efforts of emergency services.

An investigation is underway to establish the full circumstances of what happened.

Norfolk Police have made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), as is ‘standard procedure’.

The force’s Assistant Chief Constable David Buckley said: ‘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 body-worn footage and 999 calls to ensure transparency.

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

The IOPC said they have dispatched investigators to the A11.

An IOPC spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm we have begun an independent investigation after a man was shot by Norfolk Police, who were responding to an incident, on Sunday 28 December.

‘We were notified by the force after the incident on the A11, at Thetford, near the exit for London Road, just before 9.40pm and declared an independent investigation a short time later. 

‘Despite the man receiving treatment for his injuries, he sadly died at the scene.

‘We sent investigators to the post-incident procedure to begin our enquiries and start gathering evidence. Our investigation is in its very early stages.’

The A11 remains closed in both directions from the Thetford Ranges roundabout to the Brandon Road roundabout.

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