The quiet of a Sunday night in Thetford was shattered just before 9:40 PM. A man lay dead on London Road, the victim of a police shooting, leaving a community reeling and questions hanging heavy in the cold December air.
Norfolk Police responded to an incident on the A11, near the London Road exit, deploying armed officers – a scenario thankfully rare in a county accustomed to peace. Hundreds of firearms-related calls are answered each year, but the discharge of a weapon is a grim exception, a moment etched in the memories of those involved.
Assistant Chief Constable David Buckley acknowledged the understandable concern within the community. He emphasized the force’s commitment to full transparency, immediately referring the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) – standard procedure in such circumstances.
The investigation will be thorough, Buckley assured, encompassing all available evidence. Body-worn footage from the officers involved and recordings of emergency 999 calls will be handed over to the IOPC, leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of understanding.
Authorities have stated they are not seeking anyone else in connection with the shooting. This detail, while offering a degree of reassurance, does little to diminish the tragedy of a life lost.
IOPC investigators were swiftly dispatched to the scene, initiating their own independent inquiry. The A11, a vital artery connecting communities, remains closed in both directions, stretching from the Thetford Ranges roundabout to the Brandon Road roundabout, a stark visual representation of the disruption and gravity of the event.
Despite immediate medical attention, the man succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The IOPC spokesperson confirmed the investigation is in its earliest stages, focused on meticulously gathering evidence and piecing together the sequence of events that led to this devastating outcome.
The focus now is on establishing the full circumstances surrounding the shooting. Every detail, every action, will be scrutinized as investigators work to understand the events of that night and provide answers to a community grappling with shock and grief.
