A man reportedly armed with a crossbow who was shot dead by police officers has been named locally. Bryce Hodgson was said to have been trying to force his way into a house when he was killed in Rotherhithe, south-east London, just before 5am on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old appeared in court last June charged with “stalking involving serious alarm/distress”. He had been accused of entering a woman’s bedroom without her consent and sending text messages demanding she open her door between January and April last year.
He was released and later charged at Croydon Crown Court with failing to stick to bail conditions after allegedly breaking a daily night-time curfew. It is unknown if he was convicted of the charges.
His next of kin have been informed about his death.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into the incident, as is standard with a fatal police shooting.
A statement read: “We have begun an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of a man by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) earlier this morning in Southwark.
“We were notified by the MPS after the incident, which occurred shortly before 5am, and declared an independent investigation at around 6.40am.
“We have sent investigators to the scene and the police post-incident procedure to begin gathering evidence.
“Our investigation is in its very early stages.”
Residents who witnessed the events described them as “surreal”.
Detective Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, who is responsible for policing in Southwark, said after the incident: “My thoughts are with all those affected by this incident.
“I understand the local community will be concerned at the events that have taken place this morning. We will fully support the IOPC investigation into the full circumstances of what happened.”
