Police have been cleared of wrongdoing after a knife-wielding man was shot dead outside Scotland Yard in 2020.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found that the officer who fired the fatal bullet ‘feared for his life’ when Hassan Yahya ran toward him.
Officers initially attempted non-lethal means of restraint and Mr Yahya was ‘lawfully killed’, investigators found.
At 11.20pm on March 8, 2020, two Ministry of Defence Police (MODP) officers were conducting mobile patrols in a marked police vehicle.
They spotted Mr Yahya while driving along Upper Ground. Believing he might be lost, they left the vehicle to speak to him.
Mr Yahya, who police later discovered suffered from mental health problems, produced two knives, the IOPC said.
Both officers discharged their Tasers but they were ineffective. One officer then activated their emergency button, alerting Met Police and City of London Police (CoLP) officers.
Mr Yahya ran away over Hungerford Bridge and onto Northumberland Avenue where he encountered Met officers.
An officer discharged their Taser but, like the previous two, it was also ineffective, according to an expert’s report.
Mr Yahya then ran onto Great Scotland Yard in Westminster. CCTV footage showed Mr Yahya stepping towards officers, holding a knife, when he was then fatally shot, the IOPC said.
He was placed in handcuffs and given emergency first aid by the officers. Sadly, Mr Yahya was pronounced dead at the scene at 12.16am. Two knives were recovered from the scene.
The IOPC regional director, Charmaine Arbouin, said fatal police shootings are “fortunately rare”, adding that shooting Mr Yahya was “reasonable in the circumstances”.
She said: “Our thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of Hassan Yahya and everyone affected by his death.
“Fatal police shootings are fortunately rare and lethal force must only be used when absolutely necessary. When such incidents happen, it’s vital that the circumstances surrounding the shooting are thoroughly and independently examined.
“During the course of the officers’ interactions with Mr Yahya, they made numerous attempts to apprehend him using non-lethal force – including multiple discharges of Taser over a five-minute period, which proved ineffective.
“The officer who shot Mr Yahya said he feared for his life as Mr Yahya moved toward him while holding two knives. Our investigation reviewed all available CCTV footage which showed Mr Yahya stepping towards officers, holding a knife, when he was fatally shot.
“Based on the available evidence, we found that the decision to shoot Mr Yahya was reasonable in the circumstances, due to the threat the officer perceived to his life.”