A man was shot dead by police after officers stopped a vehicle near Kensington Gardens in central London.
The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to reports of a man with a firearm seen entering a bank and bookmakers close to Marloes Road, Kensington, at 3.04pm.
The man was seen getting into a vehicle and leaving the area.
That vehicle was stopped by armed officers at the junction of Kensington Road and Palace Gate 15 minutes later.
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Police gathered at the crime scene in Kensington, Central London after a man was shot dead by officers.
Shots were fired and a man sustained gunshot wounds.
The London Ambulance Service and London Air Ambulance were called and the man was treated at the scene, but died from his injuries.
He was pronounced dead at the scene at 4.08pm.
In a statement, the Met Police said efforts are under way to confirm the man’s identity and to inform his next of kin.
It added that the Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed and the incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
The incident is not being treated as terrorism.
Officers are responding to an incident at the junction of Kensington Road and Palace Gate.
There is no risk to the public but roads are closed and are likely to remain so for some time.
We will post a further update in due course.
— Kensington & Chelsea Police (@MPSKenChel) December 11, 2021
A police officer at the scene said Kensington High Street would be closed overnight – as the public are urged to avoid the area.
In a tweet, Kensington and Chelsea Police said: “There is no risk to the public but roads are closed and are likely to remain so for some time.”
Cordons have been put in place along Kensington High Street, with the largest between a branch of Starbucks and a building named Broadwalk House, where around 10 police vehicles are in place.
A tent has also been placed next to a black car in the middle of a cordon on the High Street.
The vehicle is surrounded by an unmarked police car, together with three patrol vehicles.
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson confirmed crews were called at 3.23pm to reports of a shooting.
“We sent an ambulance, an incident response officer, a tactical response unit, a motorcycle response unit and an advanced paramedic.
“The London Air Ambulance car also responded,” they said.
“We treated a man on scene, who unfortunately died.”
https://news.sky.com/story/police-respond-to-incident-at-kensington-gardens-after-reports-of-three-loud-bangs-12493134
