Priti Patel Says She Is “Shocked And Saddened” Following Reports A Police Officer Has Been Shot Dead In South London
A 23-year-old man was detained by officers at the scene (PA)
2 min read
The Home Secretary Priti Patel has released a statement saying she is “deeply shocked and saddened” following reports a police officer was shot dead on Friday morning in south London.
Met Police have confirmed that the incident took place at approximately 02:15hrs at Croydon Custody Centre on Windmill Lane.
The officer was shot by a man being detained at the centre and later died in hospital of gunshot wounds.
A 23-year-old man was detained by officers at the scene. He was also taken to hospital with a gunshot wound and remains in a critical condition.
The Met Police have confirmed that no police firearms were discharged during the incident.
In a statement, Priti Patel said: “I am deeply shocked and saddened to learn that a Metropolitan Police Officer has been shot and killed in the line of duty.
“My thoughts today are with his family, friends and policing colleagues in London and across the country.
“This morning I spoke to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick to express my condolences and to offer whatever support is needed as this tragic event is investigated.
“This is a sad day for our country and another terrible reminder of how our police officers put themselves in danger each and every day to keep the rest of us safe.”
The Labour leader Keir Starmer has also issued a statement on Twitter.
And Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said: “This is a truly shocking incident in which one of our colleagues has lost his life in the most tragic circumstances. My heart goes out to his family, direct colleagues and friends.
“We are currently supporting his family and also have a dedicated team providing support to the officers and those in the custody centre who witnessed the shooting.
She continued: "When a colleague dies in the line of duty the shockwaves and sadness reverberates throughout the Met and our communities. Policing is a family, within London and nationally, and we will all deeply mourn our colleague.
“We are in the early stages of the investigation and are still working to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and we will provide further updates when we have them."
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
