A 21-year-old man has been shot by armed police after officers responded to reports of threatening behaviour involving a suspected crossbow in Newport. Gwent Police were called to St Edward Street, Newport, at around 11.55pm on Friday, 10 July, following reports of a man behaving in a threatening manner.
Armed officers deployed
Specially trained firearms officers attended the scene alongside local officers. Police said they encountered a 21-year-old man, from Newport, who was in possession of a weapon believed to be a crossbow. During the incident, officers discharged a police-issued firearm, striking the man. He was given first aid at the scene before being taken to hospital, where he remains in a stable condition.
‘No ongoing risk to the public’
Deputy Chief Constable Nicholas McLain said:
“We understand the concern that this matter may cause within our communities, but there is no ongoing risk to the public as this is an isolated incident.
“We are not looking for anyone else in connection with it.
“While reports of offences involving firearms and weapons are rare in Gwent, we take all reports of this nature seriously and respond to them in a professional and proportionate manner based on the level of risk posed by the available information.”
Appeal for information
Gwent Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident or has CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to contact the force on 101, quoting log reference 2600220612. As with all police shootings in England and Wales, the incident is expected to be referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for assessment in line with standard procedures.
Originally published by UKNIP.