LUTON, England — A man has suffered life-changing injuries after being shot by police in Luton during an armed response to reports that a woman was being threatened with a knife, authorities said.
BREAKING: Police shoot knifeman four times after he stabbed a woman in broad daylight in Lutonhttps://t.co/YRuaJSp6BA
— GB News (@GBNEWS) September 9, 2026
The incident unfolded at a property on Cardigan Street at around 12:50pm on Tuesday, September 8, after Bedfordshire Police received reports of a man threatening a woman with a knife.
Armed officers were sent to the address and police firearms were discharged during the response. The woman was found with stab wounds and the man was also seriously injured.
Both were taken to hospital. The man’s injuries have been described as life-changing but not life-threatening, while the woman’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
The shooting has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which has opened an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the officers’ use of force.
IOPC says officer fired four live rounds
The IOPC said its initial investigation established that one Bedfordshire Police firearms officer fired four live rounds, while another officer discharged a baton round during the incident.
The watchdog said the man appears to have been struck once in the arm and once in the leg. Officers provided first aid at the scene before he was taken to hospital.
The number of rounds discharged does not mean the man was shot four times. Investigators are now working to establish the precise sequence of events and circumstances that led officers to open fire.
The IOPC declared an independent investigation shortly before 2pm on Tuesday and sent investigators to Cardigan Street.
Police firearms have since been secured for examination, while investigators have begun reviewing CCTV footage and police body-worn video as part of the inquiry.
The Bedfordshire Police statement on the Luton incident confirmed that the force referred the shooting to the IOPC following the firearms discharge.
Officers currently being treated as witnesses
IOPC director of engagement Emily Barry said police use of firearms is rare and incidents involving potentially lethal force require independent scrutiny.
Barry said investigators will examine the actions and decisions of the officers involved, including whether the use of force was reasonable, necessary and proportionate.
All officers involved are currently being treated as witnesses, according to the watchdog. The IOPC said there is no indication at this stage that any of the officers breached professional standards or committed a criminal offence.
The investigation remains in its initial stages, and neither the injured man nor the woman has been publicly identified.
The Luton incident follows several serious emergency responses reported in recent days. In Sydney, a man was killed following a fatal shooting in Punchbowl that triggered a major police investigation, while authorities in the United States are investigating a separate emergency response at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego.
Bedfordshire Police and the IOPC are expected to release further information as the investigation progresses.
This article will be updated as additional confirmed information becomes available.
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