Crossbow-wielding man shot dead after Surrey Quays break-in attempt
Armed police shot dead Bryce Hodgson, 30, today after he tried to break into a three-storey house in Surrey Quays, Southwark. Hodgson was carrying an arsenal of weapons, including two crossbows, a knife, and an axe.
Police act swiftly amid armed threat
When officers arrived, Hodgson refused to surrender. Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist, who oversees firearms at the Met Police, confirmed that unarmed officers initially responded but the threat quickly escalated. “The presence of multiple dangerous weapons led to a rapid armed police intervention,” he said.
Independent inquiry launched
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is now investigating the shooting — standard procedure whenever officers use lethal force.
Crossbow attacks rare but rising concern
Crossbow incidents remain rare in the UK — only three reported in the year up to March 2023 — but growing public worries about safety have come to the fore following this dramatic incident in South London.
