Man, 59, who was shot by police while being arrested in Wiltshire is charged with range of offences including robbery and possessing a firearm
- A man, 59 has been charged by police with five offences including breach of bail
- Howard Jones, from Swindon, was shot in the leg by police while being arrested
- He is charged with attempting to steal lorry at gunpoint in Westlea on June 16
- Other charges include possession of firearm, actual bodily harm and robbery
A man has been charged with five offences after being shot in the leg by police while attempting to steal a lorry at gunpoint.
Howard Jones, 59, tried to escape in the vehicle from Rivermead Industrial Estate in Westlea, Swindon, but was apprehended by officers in nearby Ridge Green where a ‘firearm was discharged’, on Tuesday June 16.
Jones has been formally charged with possession of a firearm or imitation firearm whilst committing or being arrested for a schedule 1 offence, robbery, actual bodily harm, assault on an emergency worker and breach of bail.
A man has been charged with five offences following an incident in Swindon on Tuesday
Armed police stopped a lorry in Ridge Green, Swindon on Tuesday and shot Howard Jones
Local resident Corey Battacchio, 17, was in his room when he heard ‘a loud bang’, but he assumed it was a firework as ‘nothing like that ever happens around here’.
He said: ‘At around 5:30pm, I heard numerous police sirens and three circulating helicopters, (one landed) so I went outside.’
He said the man was stopped by police in an unmarked vehicle.
Mr Battacchio said: ‘He was shouted at many times by police to “put the gun down” and therefore was shot. He was airlifted to hospital shortly after.’
Witnesses claim police told the man to ‘put the gun down’ before a single shot was fired
Following the incident, Superintendent Phil Staynings said: ‘I want to reassure the community that this incident was dealt with swiftly.
‘Nobody else was injured and the incident is now contained.
‘However, people living in the area will have seen a heavy police presence, which will continue throughout the evening.
‘Due to the fact that a police firearm was discharged, we have automatically referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.’
Roads were cordoned off in Swindon after the incident occurred in the Ridge Green area
An IOPC spokeswoman said: ‘We have begun an independent investigation following non-fatal police shooting in the Ridge Green area of Swindon earlier today.
‘We understand, at this time, that officers from Wiltshire Police were called to a disturbance shortly after 5pm today following reports of an armed robbery in Rivermead Industrial Estate, Westlea.
‘During the incident the man, in his 50s, was shot in the leg by a firearms officer. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
‘We have sent investigators to the scene and to the post incident procedures.’
Jones has been remanded in custody and is due before Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Monday morning.