Witness says police shot numerous times then dragged man out of car to try to resuscitate him on road close to M5

A man has died after police opened fire multiple times as they tried to stop a suspect they believed was driving down the motorway with a gun after threatening another motorist.

An independent investigation was under way into the shooting close to the M5 near Bristol. It began after a caller told police a man with a firearm had been seen on the motorway and they scrambled to intercept him.



At least one gun, believed not to belong to the police, has been recovered from the scene of the shooting; that is the item that appears to be a handgun pictured on top of the roof of the red car.

One source told the Guardian that another police force had information about the driver that was not known to Avon and Somerset as they rushed to deal with the incident. That information pointed to there being earlier concerns about the welfare of the driver. It is believed the man who was shot dead is white.



It is understood that at least one armed response vehicle was dispatched. Police believed they were under threat, and opened fire.

The shooting took place on the A369 330ft (100m) from junction 19 of the M5 at about 9.30am on Wednesday. It has been referred to the police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Police closed in on the red Suzuki car after it came off the M5. One witness claimed to have heard five shots, another said there were 10.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest What appears to be a gun is visible on the roof of the car full of bullet holes. Photograph: Francis Hawkins/SWNS

The road where the shooting took place, the Portbury Hundred, is a few minutes’ drive from the Avon and Somerset police headquarters.



Frazer Phillips wrote on the Hello Portishead Facebook page: “I was right next to it when it happened and heard about 4-5 shots.”



On the same page, Mark De Lancey wrote: “I got up on the roundabout as the police were smashing the guy’s windows and dragging him out. God knows what was happening!”

In a statement the IPCC said: “We have been advised that officers were responding to reports of a man travelling on the M5 with a handgun and that he had threatened another motorist. What appears to be a non-police-issue firearm was found at the scene and will be subject to examination.”

A witness told BBC Radio Bristol that police fired a number of shots into the car. “As I came out of Portishead … police were ahead of me. They surrounded it. They shot maybe five, six or 10 times. Then they dragged a man from the car to resuscitate him,” David Ellison said.

“It came off the roundabout towards Portishead and then was boxed in by cars. They shot through the passenger window. There were one or two marked cars and two more unmarked vehicles.”

In a statement, Avon and Somerset police appeared to confirm that officers had fired multiple shots: “Earlier this morning we received calls from concerned members of the public travelling on the M5 who reported they had seen a man in a car with a handgun.

“The vehicle left the motorway at junction 19 and officers stopped the car on the A369, known as the Portbury Hundred. Shots were subsequently fired in an incident involving police firearms and a man has died. We referred the incident to the IPCC; they’re now on the scene carrying out an independent investigation, which we are supporting.”



A tri-force specialist operations unit car was parked at the police cordon. The unit is a collaboration between the Avon and Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire forces, and delivers an armed response in south-western England.

Pictures from the scene showed a body lying on the road covered in a blanket, which remained there for several hours. A right leg and white trainer could be seen. Bullet holes were visible on the car, a red Suzuki Swift, and what appeared to be a black handgun rested on the roof.

A police officer can legally use force if there is an honest belief that a suspect presents a threat to life: if they are acting in self-defence of their own life, or to protect other people, based on what they believe at the time.

Among armed officers, one of the hardest tasks is dealing with a suspect believed to have a gun who is in a moving vehicle, because it presents many challenges.

Under the law, all police shootings have to be independently investigated by the IPCC. Its investigators were waiting for officers involved in the incident to give their initial accounts and securing any video footage that may exist of the shooting and the prelude to it.



IPCC commissioner Cindy Butts said: “My thoughts are with the man’s family and all those affected at this difficult time. The investigation is in its very early stages and we will be working hard to establish exactly what happened and would ask for patience while our investigation continues. At this stage we are currently investigating the circumstances of the incident and no individual police officer is under investigation.

steven morris (@stevenmorris20) Bristol shooting - scene. pic.twitter.com/1PB2cGf0wr

Police said the road was likely to remain closed for some time.

The police and crime commissioner for Avon and Somerset, Sue Mountstevens, cancelled a Facebook Live event, saying: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will be postponing today’s Facebook Live. We apologise for the cancellation at such short notice.”