Armed police shoot man dead after he pulls weapon during stand-off in Bedford

A man has been shot dead by police after pulling a gun during a stand-off with armed officers.

Police were called to reports of vehicles being damaged in Bedford, Bedfordshire, at around 10.40pm on Monday.

They found a man in his 40s had barricaded himself in a property in Aylesbury Road and was making threats.

Armed officers, negotiators, as well as paramedics, air ambulances and fire crews all went to the scene and tried to talk the man down for "a number of hours".

Nearby residents were also evacuated from their homes as the stand-off continued into the following morning.

But Bedfordshire Police said "despite sustained efforts over a number of hours to engage with the man and bring the incident to a safe resolution...he presented a weapon before police fired" shortly after 9.30am on Tuesday.

He was immediately treated at the scene by paramedics and officers, but died an hour later, the force added.

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Police said a cordon would stay in place on Tuesday evening, but people who were evacuated from their homes are being helped to return.

Bedfordshire Police referred itself to the watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct - a mandatory step whenever officers shoot dead a member of the public.

An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) spokesperson said: "After being notified by the force, we declared an independent investigation and have sent investigators to the scene and the police post incident procedure to begin gathering evidence.

"Our thoughts are with the man's family and everyone affected by this incident."

(c) Sky News 2026: Armed police shoot man dead after he pulls weapon during stand-off in Bedford