Fishmongers’ Hall terrorism incident - investigation update

13 Dec 2019 12:26 PM

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation into the fatal shooting by Metropolitan and City of London Police officers of Usman Khan during the Fishmongers’ Hall terrorism incident on Friday 29 November is making good progress.

Our investigation, which began immediately after the incident, is examining the circumstances of the fatal shooting and the actions and decisions including the use of lethal force, of the officers involved in the police response. The IOPC has a duty to investigate fatal police shootings and it is important to stress that no individual police officers are under investigation. All officers involved are being treated as witnesses.

Following a referral from Staffordshire Police, we have also begun an investigation into its part in the management of Usman Khan following his release from prison.

IOPC investigators have worked closely with Counter Terrorism Officers and the Directorates of Professional Standards from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and the City of London Police (COLP) to secure, access and review a range of evidence. This has included a large number of witness statements, physical evidence, CCTV and body worn video from the officers concerned. The officers involved provided initial accounts on the day of the incident and further detailed witness statements last week. We are working closely with the police to ensure our investigations do not hinder their ability to conduct their enquiries into this attack.

Last week we received a referral from Staffordshire Police relating to its contact with Usman Khan prior to his death. After we requested and received further information from the force, we concluded that a separate independent investigation should be conducted.  This investigation is still in its very early stages.

IOPC Director of London Sal Naseem yesterday said:

“Our thoughts and sympathies remain with all of those affected by the events of Friday 29 November. This was a fast-moving and dangerous situation to which the police had to respond extremely quickly and I pay tribute to the bravery of all those who responded.

“We are liaising with the Coroner and working hard to ensure our investigation into the fatal shooting is completed as quickly as possible. We will be updating Mr Khan’s family and the forces involved as we progress. At the request of the Coroner, we are limited in the information we can release at this time.

“Our separate investigation into the decisions and actions of Staffordshire Police has just begun and will be conducted alongside the investigation into the shooting.”