Police officer shot dead inside London police station

A British police officer was shot dead inside a London police station early Friday while detaining a suspect, who also suffered a gunshot wound.

London Metropolitan Police said the officer was shot at the Croydon Custody Center in the south of the city shortly after 2 am He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The 23-year-old detained man is in critical condition at a hospital.

The force said no police weapons were fired.

It is rare for police officers to be shot and killed in the UK, which has strict firearms laws.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other high-ranking politicians expressed shock at Friday’s death.

“We owe a huge debt to those who risk their own lives to keep us safe,” Johnson said.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “My heart goes out to the family of this brave officer, who has paid the highest price for helping to keep Londoners safe.”

“When a colleague dies in the line of duty, shockwaves and sadness reverberate throughout the Met and our communities,” said Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick.

“Police are a family, within London and nationally, and we will all deeply regret our colleague.”

The force has launched a murder investigation and the independent police watchdog is also investigating.

The last London police officer to be killed in the line of duty was Constable Keith Palmer, who was stabbed to death in March 2017 during a car and knife attack outside Parliament.

– AP