A police officer has been shot in the leg by a police firearm while trying to detain a man with a machete. The Gloucestershire officer was taken to hospital with a non-life-threatening leg injury after the incident in Silverstone Walk, Kingsway, Gloucester, on Wednesday.
The force said armed police were sent to the scene after receiving reports a taxi driver had been robbed by a man with a machete. Armed officers attended and located a man matching the description of the suspect inside a block of flats on Silverstone Walk.
The man attempted to evade arrest and struggled with officers as they detained him and during the incident a police firearm was discharged and an officer sustained an injury to his leg. A cordon was put in place on Silverstone Walk to enable an examination of the scene and inquiries remain ongoing.
Temporary Chief Constable Maggie Blyth said: “My thoughts are with the officer who’s been injured and his colleague following this incident. I am grateful for the bravery they have shown in detaining someone suspected of carrying out a robbery and possessing a machete and who was believed to have been a real danger to the public.
“Further inquiries will take place into exactly what happened and we will provide more details when we are able to. I’d like to reassure the public for now though that there’s not believed to be any risk to the community.
“Officers will remain in the area today to provide reassurance and I urge anyone who has any concerns about this incident to speak to one of them.”
The incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
