A convicted stalker was shot dead by police after he swung a sword and pointed a crossbow at officers while trying to break into a house in southeast London, an investigation has found.
Bryce Hodgson confronted police before being shot in Southwark on 30 January, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.
Hodgson, from Sheffield, died from gunshot wounds to his neck and chest, according to a provisional post-mortem exam last month.
Pic: PA
The 30-year-old, who had got into the house through the back door, had been trying to force his way into a bedroom using a sword when police entered the residence.
The people who lived at the address, in Bywater Place in Surrey Quays, had barricaded themselves inside the bedroom.
Officers were called to the property after several reports of Hodgson, who was carrying three crossbows, trying to force entry.
Police challenged him with a Taser, and told him to “show his hands”, but he failed to comply and swung a sword at them.
The officers were then joined by armed support, and firearms officers entered the property at 5.15am.
Ignoring further police orders, Hodgson picked up a crossbow and pointed it at an officer, at which point one officer then fired two shots, hitting Hodgson in his neck and his chest, the IOPC said.
A broken window near the scene in Bywater Place. Pic: PA
The weapons were secured, first aid was given and an ambulance was called by officers but Hodgson was declared dead at 5.37am.
Hodgson was handed a 16-week suspended jail term in July last year and put under supervision for 12 months after admitting stalking involving serious alarm or distress.
Police officers at the scene near Bywater Place in Surrey Quays. Pic: PA
Investigators have used bodycam video, officers’ statements, 999 calls, and officers’ radio communications to establish what happened, the IOPC said.
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All of the officers who attended the incident are being treated as witnesses.
The IOPC said it had met Hodgson’s family and expected to complete its investigation in the summer.
A knife at the scene. Pic: PA
IOPC regional director Mel Palmer said: “The evidence gathered to date supports the officers’ accounts that they perceived there to be an immediate and serious threat to the occupants inside the house.
“The officers, who were presented with a dynamic situation, acted swiftly to gain entry into the house to prevent any further harm to the residents.”
