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The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday at the Croydon Custody Center in south London, the city’s Metropolitan Police Service said.
Fellow officers and paramedics treated the officer at the scene, according to a police statement. However, he later died from his injuries in hospital.
A 23-year-old man was detained at the scene, police said. He is in the hospital in critical condition from a gunshot wound. The Metropolitan Police Service has launched a murder investigation.
The fatal shooting of a police officer is an unusual event in the UK, where police do not routinely carry weapons.
No police firearms were fired during the incident, according to the police statement.
“This is a truly shocking incident in which one of our colleagues lost his life in the most tragic circumstances. My heart goes out to his family, direct colleagues and friends,” said Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the country owes a “huge debt” to police officers who risk their lives to keep the community safe.
“My condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the police officer who was killed in Croydon last night,” he said on Twitter. “We owe a huge debt to those who risk their own lives to keep us safe.”
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel said she was “shocked and saddened” by the news. “My thoughts today are with her family, friends and law enforcement colleagues in London and across the country,” she said in a statement.
Patel said he had offered his condolences to Dick and offered whatever support was necessary while the shooting was investigated.
“This is a sad day for our country and another terrible reminder of how our police officers put themselves in danger every day to keep us safe,” he said.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was “devastated” by the shooting.
“My heart goes out to the family of this brave officer, who has paid the highest price for helping keep Londoners safe. Tragic incidents like this are dire reminders of the dangers our police officers face every day,” Khan said in Twitter.
“My thoughts also go out to the entire Metropolitan Police family, who I know will be in deep mourning for their colleague at this extremely difficult time. I remain in close contact with the Commissioner to offer my support to her and our Met officers and staff. “.
