Fatal shooting in Milton Keynes – Thames Valley Police, June 2021

On 26 June 2021, at around 9.40am, armed officers from Thames Valley Police (TVP) responded to a report of a domestic disturbance at a property in Denmead, Two Mile Ash.

Our investigation established that two armed officers forced entry into the flat and immediately came across a dead body, subsequently identified as a neighbour.

They were then confronted by a man and a Taser was discharged, but was ineffective. The man then moved to another room with a young child and barricaded himself inside.

Because of noises coming from the room the officers had reason to believe that he was harming the child. They forced entry and the door fell backwards into the room causing a large wardrobe to fall on top of the man and the child.

He then moved towards the officers with his arm raised. One officer fired four shots, with two hitting the man. The officer who fired the shots stated they believed he had a knife in his hand.

The man, 24, was given first aid but was sadly pronounced dead at 10.33am.

The child was taken to hospital with wounds to the left side of the head, a fracture to the left eye socket and swelling, bruising and a fracture to the left side of the skull. The child has since made a full recovery.

Last April, an inquest into the neighbour’s death concluded that he had been unlawfully killed.

We looked at the force used by officers, including the discharge of a firearm, was reasonable and necessary in the circumstances to prevent further harm to the child and we found no indication that any of the officers involved behaved in a way that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings or had committed a criminal offence.

Blood pattern analysis showed the child was punched by the man and struck, possibly with part of a wardrobe which was broken while he held the child hostage.

All the firearms officers were treated as witnesses throughout our investigation, which concluded in March 2022.

Our final report was shared with HM Coroner to assist the coronial process.

The evidence shows the officers perceived there to be an immediate threat to life as they had seen the body of a man when they entered the property and heard the cries of a distressed child in another room.

The officers, who were presented with a traumatic and distressing situation, acted swiftly to gain entry to the room to prevent further injury to the child. We found the decision to shoot the man was necessary, proportionate and reasonable in those circumstances.

After the shots were fired, the firearms officers and other police who attended immediately attempted to save the man’s life.

In April 2023, at Milton Keynes Coroner’s Court, a jury returned a conclusion of lawful killing.

We also examined concerns raised about the man’s wellbeing prior to 26 June 2021. Four days earlier, his family contacted West Midlands Police with concerns about his mental health. They were encouraged to seek medical help, which we found was an appropriate response.

A complaint was also made by the family concerning TVP’s scene management following the incident. We found TVP’s management of the scene was appropriate.

During our investigation, we analysed a large volume of evidence including body worn video, 999 recordings, a blood pattern analysis report, a ballistics report, and forensic evidence. We also conducted interviews with relevant police officers and witnesses and examined relevant TVP policies and procedures regarding the use of firearms and Taser.

We carefully considered whether there were any learning opportunities arising from the investigation. We make learning recommendations to improve policing and public confidence in the police complaints system and prevent a recurrence of similar incidents.

We did not identify any organisational learning.