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Investigation underway into Kent Police shooting near Maidstone

Factual summary of a published IOPC investigation, covering the incident, key findings and outcome.

All IOPC reports
Published
2025-07-08
Investigation type
independent
Force involved
Kent Police

What was investigated

An investigation is underway into the police shooting of a man wielding a chainsaw, which left him seriously injured. Unarmed officers initially attempted to arrest the man, but armed officers were later deployed after he refused to comply and was perceived to be a threat.

Key findings

  • A man was shot by police after refusing to drop a chainsaw.
  • Officers believed the man also held a handmade firearm or IED at the time of the incident.
  • First baton round was fired before the man took cover behind a hedge.
  • A second baton round was discharged before the man approached officers with the chainsaw.
  • The man was wearing a gas mask and body armor during the incident.
  • Weapons found at the scene included a chainsaw and a device made safe by the bomb squad.
  • No police officer is under investigation for misconduct or criminality.

Outcome

The investigation is ongoing with no immediate findings of misconduct against the officers involved.

Read the full report on policeconduct.gov.uk

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Reviewed by the BlueLineHub Editorial Team
Last reviewed: 13 July 2026 · Next review due: 13 January 2027

This is a factual summary of a report published by the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Individuals are referred to exactly as the source report anonymises them. BlueLineHub is independent and not affiliated with the IOPC · Summarised 2026-07-13.