Metropolitan Police at Stanstead Road pic:Laurence Dodds

At 6am on Sunday February 19, a man was shot by Metropolitan Police officers on Stanstead Road, Forest Hill.

Officers arrived at Elsinore Road following reports from members of the public that a man was attempting to break into a vehicle.

Local officers approached the man who then threatened them with a large, bladed weapon. Back-up units, including firearms officers, were called to the scene.

The man approached the officers in a threatening manner on Stanstead Road. Following the use of both taser and firearms the man received gunshot wounds and was taken to Kings College Hospital where he remains in a critical, but stable condition.

The man, who lives in Forest Hill, is in his early 20s and understood to be of Ghanian origin.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission have decided to launch an investigation into the incident.

IPCC Commissioner Mike Franklin said: “This young man is receiving medical attention and his condition is described as critical. His family have been informed and have been taken to the hospital by the police so that they can be close to him.

“The IPCC investigation will be carried out by our own investigators and will look at the circumstances leading up to this shooting.

“The IPCC investigation is in a very early stage and it may take a few days before we have verified information that we can give out. We will issue a fuller statement in due course.”