A man has been shot during a "pre-planned" operation by police in Wimbledon, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed.
Haydons Road has been closed in both directions on Monday morning (December 3) because of a "police incident".
Official details about what happened have been scarce but witnesses reported gunshots, screeching tyres and armed officers chasing a suspect 'with a pistol'.
Just after 11am, police confirmed armed officers were involved in an operation. They confirmed that officers shot a man and he has been taken to hospital - his condition is not yet known.
A second man has been arrested and forensics investigators are at the scene.
Armed police 'chased man with pistol'
A local resident, who did not want to be named, told this website they heard a "loud bang" at 8.10am as they were about to leave for work.
They added: "I saw a man wearing red – not sure if undercover police or not – running past the Garden Shed pub pointing a pistol.
"Almost immediately as the guy in red ran past the pub, two undercover cars put on their sirens and pulled a U-turn back up Haydons Road.
"All parties involved headed up North Road."
After watching the police speed off seemingly in pursuit of a suspect, the witness said they felt unsettled.
They added: "It wasn’t a comfortable sight seeing a man casually dressed with half his face covered with a bandana/snood carrying a huge firearm."
Police activity appears to be focused on the junction between North Road and Haydons Road, the witness reported.
The local resident added: "5-ish mins later one of the undercover police holding the large gun headed back around the corner and past Sainsburys – he went to collect his police cap that he was not wearing.
"He then headed back towards North Road and was searching in the gardens of the flats on the corner of North Road for something."
At 8.23am, when the witness left the area, there was only a “little” police presence.
But more police cars and an ambulance turned up by 8.25am, the witness added.
Other witness accounts of 'gunshots' and 'screeching' cars
The mother of a young girl who apparently witnessed the police activity this morning has also told us her account.
She said her daughter heard three gunshots.
The mum added: "I believe someone has been taken to hospital - the officer I spoke to didn’t know who that was.”
Another local, who also did not wish to be named, saw someone being taken away in ambulance.
They said: "Someone was put into an ambulance with a large bandage wrapped around their arm.
"I heard police radioing for ambulance, saying that someone had been shot."
Cars screeching outside first alerted the nearby resident to an ongoing incident.
They added: "Initially I heard lots of cars screeching outside my window.
"I couldn’t see the actual incident, but from North Road end of Lacock Close you could see all the comings and goings."
What the police said in full
Here's the statement from the Metropolitan Police in full:
"A man has been shot during a pre-planned police operation in Wimbledon.
"The incident happened at about 08:10hrs on Monday, 3 December in Lacock Close.
"A proactive operation was conducted by officers from the Met’s Flying Squad assisted by firearms officers.
"During the course of the operation, one man was shot by police.
"He has been taken by London Ambulance Service to a London hospital. We await an update on his condition.
"A second man has been arrested for conspiracy to rob.
"The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards have been informed.
"A number of roads in the area, including Haydons Road, have been closed and a forensic scene is in place.
"The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an independent investigation."
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