A man has been shot by police who were responding to a 'serious incident' after terrified locals told of hearing gun shots in London.
One police marksman filed a single shot at the gunman in Greenwich, South London, after armed officers rushed to the scene.
An anonymous witness said a man pointed a gun at police, who shot him after ignoring a warning to put the weapon down.
The police say the incident is not terror-related and the man's injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
In a statement, the Met said: "While the investigation is in its early stages, this incident is not believed to be terror-related or that there is an ongoing threat to the wider public."
Another witness said the man had the weapon duct taped to his hand while one woman says the man was aged between 30 and 40.
An air ambulance was also called out as people were told to stay away from the area.
A man who works in a nearby pub but didn't want to be named said: "It happened about an hour and a half ago, at around 3.00pm.
"Apparently he was threatening members of the public. Then he started threatening police too.
"They got special crime officers down so they must have shot him. They only get SOCO down when it's serious."
The London Ambulance Service and the Met Police were called just after 2.30pm and have confirmed one person has been rushed to a major trauma hospital.
Dramatic pictures show officers racing to Creek Road, between Greenwich and Deptford.
Scotland Yard have released a statement confirming one man is in hospital.
It read: "At 14:31hrs on Friday 5 August police received multiple 999 reports of a man with a firearm in Creek Road, SE8.
"Firearms officers attended the scene. The man was located. A police firearm was discharged and the man sustained a gunshot injury.
"London Ambulance Service and the Air Ambulance also attended.
"He was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital. We await an update on his condition.
"No other injuries have been reported. Significant cordons are in place. We ask members of the public to avoid the area.
"The investigation is in its early stages. At present there does not appear to be an ongoing threat to the wider public."
One Twitter user said: "there has been a shooting right in front of where I am visiting in Greenwich".
Greenwich Metropolitan Police Service tweeted: "We are responding to a serious incident in #Greenwich. Armed officers are on the scene. We will provide further updates when we can."
Eyewitness Clare Thomas told Express.co.uk: "We were passing in traffic on Creek Bridge and saw a gunman.
"The hand he held the gun in — the left hand — was wrapped in duct tape.
"We made a call reporting this."
A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service said: "We were called at 2:42pm today (5 August) to reports of a shooting in Creek Road, Greenwich.
"We sent a number of resources including an ambulance crew, an advanced paramedic, a motorcycle paramedic, a medic in a fast response car and an incident response officer, and we also dispatched medics from London's Air Ambulance.
"We treated a man at the scene and took him as a priority to a major trauma centre."
Another woman, who asked not to be named, was driving along Creek Street,
Greenwich with her partner and 12-year-old daughter when she claims the family noticed an Arabic man, aged between 30 and 40 holding a firearm.
The terrified mum-of-two said the hand he was holding the gun in was wrapped in duct tape, prompting her to believe it might be a "terror attack."
The 44-year-old said: "I was driving and my partner suddenly goes "oh my god he's got a gun" and I noticed the man he was pointing at had duct tape in his hand as well.
"We phoned the police but the operator took a long time to get the details down.
"They asked if it looked like a cowboy gun which I thought was a bit of a bizarre question.
"My partner said it was a semi-automatic or something. I didn't know if it was a terrorist attack or just a crazy person.
"He wasn't walking but he wasn't still either - he was just strolling so casually and calmly. It sends a chill through you to see someone holding a gun so calmly.
"I didn't look at him for very long because I didn't want to make eye contact."
Gemma Daly, 31, from Whitstable, but staying in Greenwich, said she heard some shouting and then "a big bang" which she believes was a gunshot.
She said she heard police sirens straight away, adding that the emergency services then started arriving.
"Police were attending to a man on the side of the bridge," she said. "They removed his clothing", she said, describing how "a lot of people" were working on the man before he was put on a stretcher.
