Officers involved in shooting of stabbing suspect ‘did not commit offence’

There is no evidence any police officers involved in the shooting of a double stabbing suspect committed a criminal offence, a watchdog has said.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an investigation after a man in his 30s was shot by an armed Merseyside Police officer in Huyton, near Liverpool, on Wednesday afternoon.

Police had been called to the area after reports that a man and woman had been stabbed in a back garden in Tobruk Road.

All officers who attended the incident are being treated as witnesses, the IOPC said, adding there was “no indication any of them may have committed a criminal offence or breached police professional standards of behaviour”.

The IOPC said it had attended a forensic examination of the scene and a CO2 powered air pistol had been recovered from the address where the suspect was shot.

One officer fired one shot during the incident, the watchdog added.

The suspect was taken to hospital where he is in a serious but stable condition, and the IOPC said it understood he was being treated for abdominal injuries.

On Thursday, Merseyside Police said the woman who was stabbed remained in hospital in a stable condition where she was being treated for serious injuries to her face, back and arms.

The male stabbing victim was discharged after treatment for minor injuries, according to the force.

IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: “This was a disturbing incident in broad daylight in a residential area and it is appropriate that we examine police actions in responding to the events.

“We send our sympathies to those who were injured and everyone affected by what happened. We will keep all relevant parties updated as our enquiries progress.”