A Metropolitan Police officer who shot an armed man at the end of a four-hour stand-off in a Walthamstow cul-de-sac last October will not face disciplinary proceedings, the police watchdog has concluded.
The Waltham Forest Echo reported the outcome of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation, which ran for almost a year.
What happened
Specialist Met officers were called to a home in Stow Crescent just before 10am on 10 October 2025, after reports of a man with a firearm threatening to harm himself.
As the incident went on, the man threatened to seriously harm anyone who came into the address, which led to a lengthy stand-off.
It ended at around 2pm, when officers forced entry after hearing a loud bang from inside the property. An officer then fired three shots towards Gregory Lazarus Hutchinson, 30, who was later found to have a sawn-off shotgun.
Hutchinson spent five weeks in hospital and was later charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
The watchdog's finding
In a statement to the Echo, the IOPC said: "During the investigation we reviewed police body worn footage, obtained statements from officers and examined relevant police records and force policies. The officers involved were treated as witnesses and at the end of our investigation, we found no indication that any officer may have behaved in a manner that would justify bringing disciplinary proceedings or may have committed a criminal offence."
The Metropolitan Police welcomed the findings. A spokesperson said: "We continued to support the IOPC during their investigation into this shooting, which has since concluded resulting in no disciplinary action against the officers involved. Our firearms officers respond to more than 4,000 incidents each year and play a key role in keeping London safe. Incidents where firearms are discharged remain extremely rare – there are only one or two incidents every year where shots are fired by police."
Neighbours' concerns
On the day of the incident, neighbours told the Echo the events were "terrifying and unusual".
One resident said: "It was scary. This was the first time I've encountered something like this. As a resident, I'm a bit nervous staying here now because you never know if it could happen again."
