Police fired Tasers during a stand-off with a knife-wielding man in Worcestershire before a firearms officer shot and killed him, the police watchdog said.
Officers were called by West Midlands ambulance service to an address in Redditch at about 2pm on Christmas Eve after concerns were raised for the safety of a 39-year-old man with a knife.
West Mercia police said attempts were made over “several hours” to deal with the incident on Fownhope Close but the man was shot at about 7.40pm and was pronounced dead just after 8pm.
The force said no one else was in the property at the time of the incident.
Assistant chief constable Grant Wills said: “We do not underestimate the shock and concern this may cause the local community and I want to reassure residents that we are following all appropriate procedures, this included making an immediate referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), as is mandatory and right.
“We will support their investigation, which will include providing all information we hold, including body-worn camera footage.”
The IOPC said it had seized a knife from the property and would be examining police weapons and watching body-worn camera footage.
It added investigators were overseeing forensic examinations of the interior and exterior of the address on Wednesday.
The officers involved have provided initial accounts of what happened.
IOPC director of operations Steve Noonan said: “Our thoughts are with all of those affected by this tragic incident. Given a man has died after being shot by police, our role is to independently investigate all the circumstances surrounding this incident including the actions and decisions taken by officers.
“While police shootings are thankfully rare, it is understandable that people will be concerned when it does happen, and it is important we conduct a detailed and robust investigation into what took place. Our inquiries are in their very early stages.”
Uniformed police officers were on duty outside the three-storey block of flats on Christmas Day, with forensic science officers present, and a tent set up at the rear of the building.
According to statistics from Inquest, a charity which looks at state-related deaths, there were two other fatal police shootings in 2024 up until 16 August.
There have been 83 other fatal police shootings since 1990, the charity’s figures show.
