Yahoo News Police search house in Romford after shooting man dead who made threats while 'armed with a gun'
Forensic teams are sweeping a house in Romford close to where a man in his 40s was shot dead by police in a petrol station forecourt.
Several officers, including plain clothes detectives, were seen entering a property within the police cordon in Collier Row following this morning’s incident.
The house, which is also surrounded by police tape, is roughly 50 yards from the Esso petrol garage where the man was shot in the early hours of this morning.
The suspect is understood to have phoned police from a home address, telling officers he had a weapon, before making his way to the nearby garage where the stand off took place.
A uniformed officer was also stood guard outside the house within the cordon.
A man has also been arrested near the petrol station and was seen being dragged into the back of a police van.
A police dog unit was also at the scene when the man was detained.
A ‘red key’ door ram was also visible on the ground near to where the arrest happened.
About 15 minutes earlier a van had been seen driving through the police tape, but it is not known whether the arrest is linked.
The van tore through a police cordon on Collier Row Road despite police officers warning the driver to stop.
It then drove in the direction of the garage before turning out of sight.
Police were called at 3.50am by a man making threats and claiming he was in possession of a firearm and armed officers rushed to the scene.
At around 4.45am a man believed to be in his 40s was shot by police near Collier Row Road and Lodge Lane.
He was pronounced dead at the scene about half an hour later.
Forensics officers could be seen moving a tent into the Esso petrol station on Collier Row Road shortly before 11am.
Tracy Green, 39, who lives around 100 yards from the station, said she was woken up by two gunshots at around 4.45am.
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She said: ‘I was just turning over and heard ‘bang, bang’ and thought ‘oh that sounded like gunshots’ It’s crazy really. It’s too close to home.’
Her neighbour Darren Buckley, 50, said he saw at least two ambulances and several police vehicles when he went outside.
He added: ‘I didn’t hear gunshots, but seeing all the vehicles I thought it was a car crash or something, seeing all the blue lights.
‘I saw an ARV (armed response vehicle) race away as well.’
A woman, who didn’t give her name, said: ‘I heard two pops but I had no idea what it was.
‘The next thing I knew the police had taped off the whole road by this morning and apparently there was a shooting.
‘It was at about 5am, they were quite loud bangs.
‘I didn’t get up to look, there might have been some sirens.’
The woman, who lives in a house close to the petrol station, added: ‘It’s worrying when it’s right on your doorstep.
‘Nothing like this has happened in the areas since I’ve lived here, about five years. Police haven’t told us anything.’
A Met Police spokesperson said: ‘Firearms officers attended the location and were informed the man had left the address, armed with a firearm.
‘At approximately 04:45hrs a man – believed to be aged in his 40s – was shot by police in the vicinity of Collier Row Road and Lodge Lane.
‘He was pronounced dead at the scene at 05:17hrs.
‘Road closures remain in place around the scene.’
A police cordon has been set up around the junction of Melville Road in Lowshoe Lane, while one witness described seeing a body on the floor of a petrol station.
The Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed and a mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
An IOPC spokesperson said: ‘We are investigating a fatal police shooting in Romford this morning.
‘We were notified of the incident in Collier Row Road, Romford, by the MPS earlier this morning.
‘We have deployed investigators to the scene and to police post-incident procedure to begin inquiries.’
Reacting to the incident, Romford’s Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell lashed out at London mayor Sadiq Khan.
He tweeted: ‘Shocking incident in Collier Row today, just relieved that no member of the public has been harmed. Thank you to the Police for protecting our community.
‘Crime in Havering is rising – Mayor Khan, you have a duty to allocate more resources to our borough!’
