A knifeman who was shot dead by police outside Milton Keynes station after ‘moving at speed towards officers’ has been named as David Joyce.
Mr Joyce was seen on police bodycam and CCTV with a blade in his hand sprinting towards cops outside the city station’s entrance on Tuesday, April 1, at 1.04pm.
The 38-year-old, who was from Milton Keynes, was killed by a single shot at close range in front of horrified members of the public.
Officers performed CPR in an attempt to save Mr Joyce’s life, but he was pronounced dead at 1.44pm.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into the incident and has launched a witness appeal.
IOPC director Derrick Campbell said: ‘Our thoughts are with the family and friends of this man and all of those affected by this tragic incident.
‘Given a man has died after being shot by police, our role is to independently investigate all of the circumstances surrounding this incident including the actions and decisions taken by the police.
‘We appreciate that this incident outside a busy train station will understandably cause concern.
‘We know the community will want answers quickly and our investigators are working hard to establish the facts as we piece together what happened and how.
Officers were called to Milton Keynes Central following reports of a man carrying a firearm just before 1pm on April 1 (picture from the scene)
‘We have obtained details of some members of the public who witnessed the incident who we will be contacting, however we know there were many people near the station around the time of the shooting and we want to hear from anyone who may have seen the incident or has footage of it.
‘We have contacted the man’s family and will meet with them soon to explain our role. We will keep them regularly updated throughout our investigation.
‘Witnesses to the incident can contact us on 0300 303 5727 or by email at miltonkeynes@policeconduct.gov.uk.’
Firearms officers were deployed following reports that there was a man with a gun outside the station.
But hte IOPC said today that only a knife was recovered from the scene.
Locals told MailOnline yesterday that the town feels ‘really unsafe’, with many still in shock following the incident.
Irisa Gordoni, who moved to the town 10 years ago from Italy, feels that while knife crime was common, the town has begun to feel increasingly unsafe, especially for women.
‘We run a small family business and sometimes you know, so I’m always worried you know that something could happen in my shop or close to my shop,’ she said.
‘It just makes me feel unsafe really, I feel like everyone feels a bit scared.
‘You are scared to say anything to anyone because you don’t know how it will go down,’ she added: ‘The train station is only 15 minutes from here.’
She continued: ‘I feel the difference, it’s become really unsafe to walk around. It used to be different because I was new to the area…I used to like it a lot.’
Those who saw the incident have also come forward to share their accounts upon seeing the standoff between police and the armed man.
Residents living above the station in Milton Keynes reported hearing a loud ‘bang’ during the incident
Police officers could be seen trying to save a man’s life after shots were fired at around 1pm on Tuesday
Police officers stand guard at a cordon at Milton Keynes train station after Mr Joyce was shot dead by armed police officers
Thames Valley Police said armed officers responded and challenged the man at the station before shots were fire by police
A police tent erected at Milton Keynes Central train station on April 1 after the shooting
Witness Domenico Scalzo, 38, a delivery driver, said: ‘It was very shocking – I will definitely have nightmares.’
He described how he rushed outside to see police officers giving the man – who he said appeared to be in his 20s and was bleeding – CPR.
‘It’s really difficult for the police, there are teenagers around here as young as 12 carrying massive knives, but you don’t expect to see people gunned down in the streets by the police in the UK.
‘I was having my coffee and I saw a police Volvo arrive. I heard a pop – I used to work with firearms in private security, I knew it wasn’t a car backfiring or anything.’
