A POLICE officer who shot a man in Eltham High Street yesterday morning has been taken off firearms duties.

In a planned operation, the Met’s Flying Squad attended Boots chemist in the town centre at around 7am.

During the operation an officer fired his weapon, hitting a man who was then taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

He was then arrested along with four other men.

The Directorate of Professional Standards and Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) have been informed, and the officer has been removed from firearms duties.

IPCC Commissioner Mike Franklin, said: “IPCC investigators are currently at the scene of this incident and are working to gather information from CCTV, house to house enquiries and police logs as well as collecting initial accounts from the officers involved.

“We will be examining the reason why the police officer discharged his firearm to consider whether he was justified in doing so.”