Masked man repeatedly shot by police in Kent was 'wielding chainsaw and carrying IED'

A man repeatedly shot by police was said to have been armed with a chainsaw, as an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation has been launched.

Officers went to a residential address in the quiet village of Hollingbourne, near Maidstone in Kent, on Monday to make an arrest at around 7.15pm. Police marksmen are understood to have opened fire just after 9pm after the man, in his 30s, allegedly threatened them with a chainsaw.

Officers also believed the man, who was wearing a gas mask and body armour, was carrying an improvised explosive device. The item is currently being examined and a 100-metre cordon remains in place around the scene of the shooting as officers carry out a fingertip search of the house and surrounding buildings. It is understood that the man was hit in the arm and abdomen and has been left with "life changing injuries".

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Officers were executing an arrest warrant issued by Devon and Cornwall Police when the incident happened, a source said. Pictures showed bomb squad officers close to the scene in the car park of the Park Gate Inn. The IOPC said in a statement on Tuesday that it has been advised by Kent Police that unarmed officers attended the house at around 7.15pm to arrest a man on suspicion of assault.

However, he is said to have refused to come out of the house, so officers were told to withdraw and marksmen were sent in. The IOPC said a first baton round, also known as a rubber bullet, was fired by police, with the man then taking cover behind a hedge. Officers are then said to have moved in before a police dog was deployed.

According to the IOPC, the man 'ignored orders to put down the chainsaw and a second baton round was discharged and then, seconds later, he moved towards officers and was shot by an officer with a conventional firearm'. IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: “Police shootings are fortunately rare, however, given a man has been injured after being shot by police, our role is to independently investigate all of the circumstances surrounding this incident including the actions and decisions taken by the police.

“Based on analysis of evidence gathered to date, no police officer is under investigation for either misconduct or criminality – they are being treated as witnesses. We appreciate that the community will want answers quickly and our investigators are working hard to establish the facts and piece together what occurred. Our thoughts are with everyone affected.”

"While at the scene, a firearm was discharged by a police officer," Kent Police said in a statement. "A man sustained injuries believed to be life-changing and was taken to a London hospital where he remains receiving treatment."

Sources said the incident was not terror-related. The man remains in hospital, police said. An investigation by the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, has been launched and is in its "very early stages".

The IOPC released a statement saying: "We have begun an independent investigation after a man was shot and seriously injured by Kent Police, who were responding to an incident on Monday July 7. We were notified by the force after the incident in Hollingbourne, which occurred shortly before 9pm, and declared an independent investigation a short time later.

"The man is receiving treatment in hospital for his injuries which are thought to be life-changing. We have sent investigators to the scene and the police post-incident procedure to begin gathering evidence. Our investigation is in the very early stages." The A20 Ashford Road, near Leeds Castle, was shut by officers at around 8.45pm on Monday.

Pub landlord Steve Thomas, 68, who has run the Sugar Loaf pub in Hollingbourne for nine years said: “It’s a lovely village and you don’t have a lot of stuff like that happening around here. It is the sort of place where everyone knows everyone.

“It is a lovely place to be and to have something like this happen is extreme. To [happen] close the A20 like that - the main road - it must have been something big. It must have been something really extreme for the police to shoot someone.”

Kent Police said: "Kent Police attended an address in Hollingbourne, Maidstone to conduct an arrest at approximately 7.15pm on Monday July 7 2025. While at the scene, a firearm was discharged by a police officer. A man sustained injuries believed to be life-changing and was taken to a London hospital where he remains receiving treatment. Shortly afterwards the IOPC declared an independent investigation, which Kent Police is supporting."