Man shot by police in Bedford was 'harmless', say neighbours

Man shot by police was 'harmless', say neighbours2 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleMousumi Bakshi,in BedfordandDanny FullbrookMousumi Bakshi/BBCPolice told Donna and Paul Freeman to evacuate their homeNeighbours have described a man who died after a police shooting as "harmless" and "polite".Officers said they had tried to negotiate with a man who had "barricaded" himself inside a house on Aylesbury Road, Bedford, but armed officers fired after he presented a weapon at about 09:30 BST on Tuesday.The Bedfordshire force was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which has started an investigation.Donna and Paul Freeman, who lived just yards from the man who was shot, said they had been left feeling numb.The couple said their neighbour had mental health issues and private ambulance staff had tried to "coax him out" of his home on Saturday.At 06:00 on Monday, the Freemans had to evacuate their house. Police told the BBC the man had threatened to turn his gas on and cause an explosion.When the Freemans returned four hours later, they found "distraught" members of the man's family, who had heard the gunshots.Paul Freeman said: "He was just a genuine, quiet, nice guy, you know? He kept himself to himself... He was always polite, always waved."His wife added: "He was harmless, you know? We didn't see him an awful lot of the time because he lived on his own, but like you say, he'd always wave."Mousumi Bakshi/BBCRobert Nsubuga said he had been chatting to the man shortly before police arrivedRobert Nsubuga, who lived next door, said his neighbour had been making noise in recent weeks but not been "causing any trouble".He recalled seeing the man minutes before the police arrived, at approximately 22:00 on Monday."He was sitting outside his door playing music," Nsubuga said. "I came out to put the bin out and he said 'he...