Man shot dead by police at Milton Keynes station named as Irish man

Galway native David Joyce, 38, who lived in Milton Keynes, was shot dead by Thames Valley Police officers on Tuesday

Forensics and police officers at Milton Keynes train station last Tuesday. An Independent Office for Police Conduct stated that 38-year-old David Joyce ran towards officers wielding a knife. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA

A knife-wielding man shot dead by police at Milton Keynes railway station has been named by the British police watchdog as 38-year-old Irish native David Joyce.

Officers were called to the station at around 12.55pm on Tuesday following reports of a man carrying a gun.

Armed officers challenged a white man who was carrying a knife outside the station before he moved at speed towards them.

“Shortly afterwards he was shot at close range,” the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which has launched an investigation into the incident, said.

A “single shot was fired by one officer”, the watchdog added.

An IOPC statement continued: “We have viewed police officers’ body worn video footage and a substantial amount of CCTV footage and established that, at around 1.04pm, the man was just outside the railway station main entrance with a knife in his hand and ran towards the officers.

Passengers making their way from Milton Keynes train station last Tuesday as Thames Valley Police and British Transport Police officers sealed off part of the station. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA

“The man, David Joyce, 38, who lived in Milton Keynes, was given first aid by Thames Valley Police officers but died at the scene. His next of kin has been informed and he was formally identified at a post-mortem examination this morning.

“The provisional cause of death is a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. 

"We attended the police post incident procedures on Tuesday, where the officers involved provided their initial accounts of the incident. All officers who attended the scene are currently being treated as witnesses.

“We will be taking statements from members of the public who were at the station at the time and are looking to secure further CCTV from nearby public buildings.” 

In Dublin, A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said it is aware of this case and is providing consular assistance. It does not comment on the details of individual cases, the department said.

Forensic investigators at Milton Keynes train station after a man was shot dead by police officers on Tuesday. The deceased man has since been identified as 38-year-old Irish native David Joyce who was living in Milton Keynes. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA

The Irish Mirror has reported that Mr Joyce was a native of Galway.

IOPC director Derrick Campbell said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of this man and all of those affected by this tragic incident.

“Given a man has died 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.

“We appreciate that this incident outside a busy train station will understandably cause concern.

“We know the community will want answers quickly and our investigators are working hard to establish the facts as we piece together what happened and how.

“We have obtained details of some members of the public who witnessed the incident who we will be contacting, however we know there were many people near the station around the time of the shooting and we want to hear from anyone who may have seen the incident or has footage of it.

“We have contacted the man’s family and will meet with them soon to explain our role. We will keep them regularly updated throughout our investigation.”