Man armed with knife shot dead by police in Derby

A man with a knife has died after being shot by armed officers outside a police station in Derby.

Derbyshire Police said it happened in the secure car park of the Ascot Drive police station, on the outskirts of the city, at about 09:55 BST.

The force said armed officers were sent to the scene and a police firearm was discharged at 10:03.

The man, whose identity is unknown, was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The force said officers gave first aid to the man at the scene until paramedics arrived.

Witnesses saw an air ambulance land near the scene.

Derbyshire Police has informed the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) following the death.

Ascot Drive is currently closed and photos on social media showed a large police presence in the area.

Eyewitness Mark Baxter said he heard six gunshots and saw a police officer with a gun standing over a man on the ground.

Mr Baxter, who works at Marilly Motors on nearby Pontefract Street, said: “There was a series of gunshots. Two sharp blasts, two shots afterwards, a brief delay and then two more shots.

“We came out to the back of Farmfoods and police were already on site.

“One of our customers came down and said somebody had been shot in the entrance to the police station and he was on the ground.

“We [went out] saw there was someone on the ground with a guy stood over him with a gun, police cars and they shut the road off.”

Eyewitness Mick Lahel said: “I heard the gunshots and walked around to the front of Farmfoods.

“I looked right next door to the fire station [which shares the site] and I saw somebody lying on the floor… and I saw an armed policeman with a gun.

“I thought it was an explosion at first, I was waiting to see smoke but then heard sirens.”

By Giles Taylor, BBC East Midlands Today

Over the last few hours numerous passers-by have approached the cordon here, only to be turned away and redirected by the police.

There has been a steady stream of plain-clothed officers arriving on scene, and a forensics tent has been set up across the road from the police station while investigations continue.

Another eyewitness Paul Milner, who works on Ascot Drive, also said he heard six gunshots during his break.

And a further eyewitness, who did not want to be named, said: “We heard three or four police cars go shooting past with their sirens on

“We heard people shout ‘stop, put it down’ and then next thing you know there was gun shots left right and centre.”

Jack Tymon, BBC Radio Derby’s reporter at the scene, said the police cordon stretched from the top of Ascot Drive near the joint police and fire station to the junction with Wetherby Road.

He said there were six marked police vehicles and three unmarked white vans within the sealed-off area.

A Derbyshire Police spokesperson said: “No officers, staff or other members of the public were injured during the incident.

“A cordon is currently in place and Ascot Drive is currently closed and will remain so for some time while enquiries are ongoing.”

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