UK Police Shoot Knife-Wielding Man Dead in London

Police stand guard by a cordoned off area after an incident in Westminster, London, UK., on March 9, 2020. Scott D'Arcy/PA via AP

British police say they have shot dead a man who was brandishing two knives near Trafalgar Square in central London.

The Metropolitan Police force said on March 9 that the shooting wasn’t terror-related.

The force said officers patrolling the area—close to Parliament and tourist hotspots—saw a man acting suspiciously late Sunday. When challenged, he produced two knives and was shot, the force said.

Most British police don’t carry firearms, but the area around Parliament is often patrolled by armed officers.

Police activity in Great Scotland Yard, in Whitehall, central London, near the area of an incident, in Whitehall, London, UK., on March 9, 2020. Yui Mok/PA via AP

Police shootings are relatively rare in the UK. In 2019, British police fired guns 13 times. In November, officers shot and killed an attacker inspired by the ISIS terrorist group who had fatally stabbed two people near London Bridge.

Police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the latest shooting.