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DEADLY SHOOTING
Man shot by police at station was wielding knife NOT gun as top cop says officers who killed him ‘should be praised’
The man 'moved at speed towards officers' with the weapon before being shot once
A MAN shot dead by police at a railway station in broad daylight was "carrying a knife" not a gun as a top cop said officers who killed him "should be praised".
Police rushed to the Milton Keynes station after receiving reports of a man carrying a gun on Tuesday afternoon.
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Horrified commuters reported hearing a loud bang as the man - who was confronted by cops - was shot dead.
Matthew Barber, police and crime commissioner for the Thames Valley, backed the armed cops involved in shooting the knifeman dead.
He said: "Of course it is right that the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) review this incident, but from what I understand at this early stage I am confident that the officers should be praised for their actions to protect members of the public.
"As a society we ask the police to put themselves in harm's way every single day on our behalf, most of those officers are unarmed.
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"The small number of armed officers often face even greater risks and carry a still greater responsibility."
Thames Valley Police have now confirmed they "challenged a white man who was carrying a knife", not a gun.
He "moved at speed towards officers" with the weapon before being shot once, the force said.
The man has not yet been formally identified and an investigation to locate his next of kin is ongoing.
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It comes after a source near to the incident told Metro: "I just heard a bang and then the ambulances arrived.
"I have never known anything like it. It is obviously concerning, we have never heard anything happen like this before.
"The station has been closed for a couple hours now."
"Life-saving actions" were taken by Thames Valley Police but the man died from his injuries at the scene at Elder Gate.
Thames Valley Police and the British Transport Police both swarmed the busy commuter train station at 12.55pm after reports of a weapon.
A force spokesperson said last night: "Thames Valley Police is providing an update following the fatal shooting of a man outside Milton Keynes railway station this afternoon.
"Officers from Thames Valley Police and from British Transport Police were called to reports of a man carrying a firearm at the station on Elder Gate at 12.55pm.
"TVP armed officers responded and challenged a white man who was carrying a knife outside the station.
"He moved at speed towards officers with the knife before a shot was fired by police.
"Life-saving actions were immediately taken at the scene, but the man was sadly pronounced dead at 1.44pm.
"We have not yet informed the man’s next of kin so he has not been formally identified."
Roads were closed off and a police helicopter dispatched.
Witnesses reported hearing a shot being fired before the man dropped to the ground.
Officers performed CPR on the alleged gunman before paramedics took over.
A source told The Sun: "It was British Transport Police who first spotted what they thought was a gun - so it must have been on a train on in the train station.
"They alerted Thames Valley police who threw a ring for steel round the station - they stopped all the traffic and buses even driving past.
"Then as soon as he stepped out of the station the cops started shouting at him.
"After that the shots rang out and he dropped to the ground."
A local shop worker added: "It all happened so quickly.
"We came out after hearing the police car sirens, looked down the street and then there was this deafening gunshot.
"I only heard one shot. Then I saw officers carrying out CPR but I never saw the man move again. I think he was already gone."
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Another witness claimed the man had been shot in the stomach.
"I only heard a single shot as I was coming out of the station - but there may have been others earlier," they added.
Armed cops were said to have repeatedly warned the man to put his weapon down.
A witness claimed: "I think police spotted him in the station with a gun as they followed him outside.
"I heard them screaming at him to put it down two or three times before hearing a gunshot. I think it was just the one shot.
"Officers surrounded him very quickly and were warning everyone to stay away so I didn't get a good look at him.
"He was floored very quickly before anyone was harmed but himself."
Two blue police tents were set up by Pret's outside seating area next to a Subway and Starbucks.
Officers in white forensic suits were seen examining evidence around the huge cordon which was larger than the size of a football pitch.
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Some commuters took to social media claiming they could hear gunfire.
One shared on X: "I heard the gunshot while waiting for the bus."
Another commented: "Just got off my bus there.
"There's no vehicle access at all and I counted eight police cars that I could see and two ambulances."
A third replied: "Huge police presence including helicopter."
An IOPC spokesperson added: "We can confirm we have begun an independent investigation into the fatal shooting of a man by Thames Valley Police (TVP) at Milton Keynes railway station today (1 April).
"We were notified by TVP shortly after the incident and IOPC investigators have been sent to the station and the police post incident procedure to begin gathering information.
"Our thoughts are with the family of the man who died and all those who have been affected by this incident.
"Our role in these circumstances is to independently investigate all of the circumstances surrounding this incident including the actions and decisions taken by the police.
"We declared an independent investigation at 2.26pm. It is in its very early stages and no further information is available at this time."
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A BTP spokesman said: "BTP received a report from Thames Valley Police at 1pm today of a man carrying a firearm at Milton Keynes station.
"Armed officers from Thames Valley Police responded and he was shot and pronounced dead outside of the station."
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