One man dead after ‘police officers open fire on his car’

A MAN has died after a reported police shooting on a main road near Portishead, Somerset.

Avon and Somerset Police said the man died after an “incident involving police firearms” on the A369 Portbury Hundred, near Bristol, yesterday morning.

A witness told the BBC he saw “five or six” shots. David Ellison told the broadcaster: “Several police vehicles surrounded the car and I saw two police officers fire five, six, maybe 10 shots through the passenger window. They dragged a man from the car to resuscitate him.”

An air ambulance landed on the A369 Portbury Hundred near its junction with the M5, police said. Great Western Air Ambulance charity said it had sent its critical care team to the incident, but could not confirm further details.

A car being photographed by police appeared to be an older model red Suzuki Swift hatchback. The BBC reported it was this vehicle that had been surrounded by marked and unmarked police cars at about 9.30am before the shooting is said to have taken place.

There were at least four bullet holes in the off-side of the hatchback, and what appeared to be a black handgun on the roof. The scene was cordoned off and forensics officers erected a blue and white tent.

A body, covered by a blanket, lay in the road at the back of the near-side of the car.

The incident is not terrorrelated, police said.

“We can confirm a man died earlier this morning in an incident involving police firearms on The Portbury Hundred (A369) in Portishead,” an Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said. “We have referred the incident to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.”

The IPCC said: “IPCC investigators are at the scene gathering evidence and are attending the post incident procedures. Our investigation is in its very early stages.” (© The Independent, London)