Actions of Thames Valley officers praised after investigation into non-fatal police shooting

An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation has praised the courage and professionalism of Thames Valley Police (TVP) officers involved in an incident where an officer was shot with a crossbow by a man, who was shot by police shortly afterwards.

Jason King, aged 54, was shot once by a TVP firearms officer during the incident on 10 May, 2024 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, sustaining injuries that are not considered life-changing.

Our independent investigation, which began following a mandatory referral from the force, looked at the actions and decisions of the officers involved, including the decision to shoot Mr King, and the aftercare provided to him.

We established that shortly before 6pm, unarmed TVP response officers attended a report that a person had been stabbed by their neighbour.

The officers identified that the suspect, Mr King, was inside his address. Armed officers were then sent to the scene after police became aware that he had access to swords in the property.

Prior to the arrival of firearms officers, Mr King exited his property armed with a crossbow and chased an unarmed officer, who was shot in the leg. The officer continued to flee on foot while being chased.

Armed officers arrived at around 6.25pm and - aware at this point that a colleague had been shot by a crossbow - located Mr King in a nearby park, hiding behind a tree and holding the crossbow.

Officers instructed him to stay still, however he ran out from behind the tree and an officer fired a single shot, which struck Mr King in the abdomen. The attending officers provided first aid before he was transported to hospital by paramedics.

He was subsequently discharged from hospital later that month and was arrested by TVP and charged with multiple offences.

IOPC regional director Mel Palmer said it was clear that the officers were responding to a highly dangerous situation:

"This was a frightening incident for the officers involved and I want to recognise their courage, professionalism and sound judgement under pressure.

"The officers were dealing with a dangerous man who had stabbed a neighbour before chasing and shooting an officer with a crossbow. I want to particularly acknowledge the actions of the unarmed officers who first confronted Mr King and the firearms officer who discharged their weapon, which prevented any further risk of harm to the public and his police colleagues.

"Given the threat posed by Mr King at the time the shot was fired, it was our view that the officer's decision to shoot was necessary, proportionate and justified in the circumstances."

Our investigation also established that TVP officers had spoken to Mr King the previous day (9 May) following an incident involving a neighbourhood dispute. There was no evidence that a crime had been committed and officers took steps to appropriately resolve the matter. We found that the officers who attended this incident acted satisfactorily.

The officers involved were all treated as witnesses and at the conclusion of our investigation, no conduct issues were identified for any officer.

As part of our investigation, we reviewed police body worn video, police radio transmissions and mobile phone footage from the public. Witness statements were obtained from officers involved and we reviewed relevant legislation, policies and guidance.

Following a criminal investigation by TVP, Mr King subsequently pleaded guilty to multiple offences, including causing grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to wounding the officer. He will be sentenced in January.