A man has been shot dead by police after barricading himself inside a home in Bedford following a tense standoff that lasted nearly 12 hours. Officers from Bedfordshire Police confronted the man, believed to be in his 40s, after reports of vehicles being damaged on Aylesbury Road at around 10:40 pm on Monday night. The man then barricaded himself inside a nearby home and began making threats, according to the police force.
After hours of negotiations, officers opened fire shortly after 9:30 am on Tuesday, claiming the man ‘presented a weapon’. The man was treated at the scene but died approximately one hour later. Bedfordshire Police stated that ‘despite sustained efforts over a number of hours to engage with the man and bring the incident to a safe resolution… he presented a weapon before police fired’.
The force has made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which has launched an investigation into the incident. This is a developing story, and further details are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.
