'We don't feel safe': Dagenham residents after shooting

A man in his 40s was shot and killed by armed police at an address in Weston Green on November 23. 

The Met Police said they were called by a man claiming to want to take his own life who is said to have mentioned that he was in possession of loaded firearms.

Despite what the Met said were continued attempts to engage with the man, shots by police were fired shortly before 9pm and the man was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. 

A woman, who lives close to the scene with her partner, said: "Dagenham in general has been going downhill recently.

"We’ve lived here 20 years, and we’re considering moving. We don’t feel safe anymore.”

Derek Streeter, 71, who lives two streets away in Five Elms Road, also expressed his concerns. 

He said: “It’s definitely a shock that it was so close. It does make you feel unsafe.”

Peter Hawes, who lives in Weston Green, said: “It’s very much a shock to me, especially when it is so close to home.”

He added: “I didn’t know the neighbours there, I’d only met them a few times in passing.

“It’s a shame that I never got to know them.”

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is yet to confirm the man's identity as their investigation is ongoing. 

The man is the first person to be shot dead by Met Police officers since rapper Chris Kaba was killed in Streatham Hill, South London, in September 2022.

Police at the scene were unable to give any more information about what happened, but one officer said she believed the investigation “could take a while”.

She added: “We haven’t been given any updates, but I think the fact that it’s a shooting – and police officers were involved – that means this is going to take a while.”

A spokesperson for the IOPC confirmed this week their investigators have reviewed police body worn footage and obtained police call logs. 

They have been at the scene making enquiries with neighbours to identify any witnesses.

Reporting by SWNS.