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Metropolitan Police officers used reasonable and necessary force when dealing with a man armed with knives, an Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation has concluded.

Police tasered the man and hit him with a police car, before shooting and injuring him during attempts to prevent him causing harm to himself or others. No police officer was subject to investigation during the IPCC enquiry.

Police were called to reports of a disturbance in Brent, north-west London, in the early hours of 8 October 2015. A man who had been acting violently was searched by a police officer, who said he felt the blade of a large knife through his clothes.

The man resisted arrest, causing police to leave the building for their safety.

Officers said the man followed them outside and refused to follow their instructions to show his hands. The man walked away and police followed him due to fears he was still in possession of a knife. Officers carrying Taser were requested and armed officers experienced in dealing with knife incidents and negotiating were dispatched.

An officer described seeing the man produce two knives from his pockets. Another two officers arriving at the scene got out of their car and drew their Tasers.

When the man refused to drop his knives, a warning was given and Taser fired. The Taser had no apparent effect on the man and he was tasered a further three times. A number of officers at the scene said the man began slashing at the Taser wires with his knives. Taser was used twice more, again with no apparent effect.

An officer driving to the scene saw the man and, believing that he would “kill or seriously injure police officers or members of the public if he was not stopped”, decided to hit him with his car. The man was hit at a speed of no more than nine miles per hour and was seen to roll across the car’s bonnet, land on his feet and stab the tyres with the knives.

The man was then tasered a further five times, but was still standing and holding the weapons. A firearms officer told investigators that he decided he had “no option” but to shoot him to stop him from seriously injuring or killing somebody. A single shot was fired, which hit the man, causing him to fall to the ground. Officers performed first aid before he was taken to hospital with chest and arm injuries.

Footage from the scene showed a bread knife, a carving knife and a screwdriver lying in the road. The man subsequently admitted possessing offensive weapons and common assault, for which he received a suspended sentence.

IPCC Commissioner Cindy Butts said:

“Officers were faced with a man armed with knives who seemed intent on using his weapons on a public street. They needed to stop him from causing serious injury or death to them, a member of the public, or himself.

“Taser was fired a total of 11 times. The man was found to be wearing extra clothing, which we believe reduced the effectiveness of Taser on at least one occasion. Yet he still posed a real danger to officers, leaving them with no option but to use further force.

“Following a thorough investigation, we found that the force used was necessary and proportionate.

“In the course of this investigation we took accounts from officers, witnesses and the man who was shot by police. More than 70 witness statements were taken, and CCTV, body-worn video and footage from police vehicles was examined. Downloads from Taser, radio and telephone transmissions were assessed and considered in the course of the investigation.

“It is essential that any situation in which potentially lethal force is used is independently investigated.”

A recommendation was made by the IPCC in relation to emotionally or mentally distressed (EMD) situations, which was accepted by the MPS.

The full report into the non-fatal shooting can be found here.