Man, 39, shot dead by armed police in Redditch on Christmas Eve

A man with a knife was shot dead by armed police in Redditch after "several hours" of negotiations on Christmas Eve, police have said.

West Mercia Police were called to a property in Fownhope Close, Redditch, at around 2pm on Tuesday to reports of a man with a knife.

Police negotiators arrived at the scene in Worcestershire and "attempts were made to resolve the situation by engaging the man over several hours".

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is investigating, said it is believed Tasers were fired during the incident and at 7.40pm the man was then shot by armed police.

He was pronounced dead just after 8pm.

West Mercia Police added no one else was inside the property at the time.

"Our thoughts are with all of those affected by this tragic incident," said IOPC director of operations Steve Noonan.

"Given a man has died after being shot by police, our role is to independently investigate all the circumstances surrounding this incident including the actions and decisions taken by officers," he added.

In a statement, the IOPC said the man's family have been contacted "to express our condolences and explain our involvement".

The IOPC also said it had seized a knife from the property and would be examining police weapons and watching body-worn camera footage.

The officers involved have provided initial accounts of what happened.

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West Mercia Police's assistant chief constable Grant Willis described it as a "tragic incident" adding that they would support the IOPC investigation.

"We do not underestimate the shock and concern this may cause the local community and I want to reassure residents that we are following all appropriate procedures," he said.

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