A man was shot by a GMP firearms officer on Bury New Road in Whitefield after police say he failed to stop and drove directly at officers
It was a chaotic scene on the streets of a UK town on Friday afternoon.
Hordes of armed police, a major road closure and lengthy traffic queues descended upon Bury New Road.
Earlier that afternoon, a man had been shot by an armed police officer after ‘failing to stop and driving directly at police’, reports the Manchester Evening News.
At around 3pm on Friday, May 22, police attempted to stop the vehicle on Bury New Road. The car failed to stop and ‘drove directly’ at officers in an attempt to get away, the force said.
In response, a shot was fired by a GMP firearms officer, a spokesperson for GMP has said.
The driver of the car was taken to hospital for an injury to his arm, which has been described as neither life-threatening nor life changing. No police officers were injured in the incident.
The force said that a 20-year-old white British man has since been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.
The incident is not being treated as terror related and has ‘no relevance’ to the Manchester Arena bombing anniversary. It is understood the reason for initial attempts to stop the vehicle were ‘unrelated to the local area’. GMP has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as per standard procedure.
At the scene, one neighbour said they heard two gunshots moments before an air ambulance land at the nearby Victoria Park. Footage and images from the location show Tactical Aid Units and Crime Scene Investigators examining the area. Within a cordoned-off zone, a vehicle appeared to have had its rear window smashed, with shards of glass scattered across the ground.
As of 11pm on Friday, the road remained closed between Barn Street and junction 17 of the M60, according to Inrix, a traffic monitoring website.
Detective Superintendent Joe Harrop from GMP’s Serious Crime Division said: “We know people in the area will be concerned by what has happened and the visible increase in police officers in the local area as our investigations continue.
“Thankfully no members of the wider public, or officers were harmed in the incident this afternoon and we thank people for their patience while we remain at the scene.
“Should anyone have any concerns, please speak with our officers who are out in the local area, they are there to listen and assist where possible.”
