Bryce Hodgson: Man with crossbow shot dead by police in Southwark was convicted stalker with restraining order

A man shot dead by police after breaking into a property in southeast London armed with weapons including a crossbow was a convicted stalker who was banned from entering the road where he was shot. Bryce Hodgson, 30, was handed a 16-week suspended jail term in July 2023 and put under 12-month supervision after admitting stalking, according to court documents.

He was convicted of a charge of stalking involving serious alarm or distress for entering a woman’s bedroom without her consent, texting her to demand she open her door, and describing vivid sexual fantasies to her, between January and April last year.

Hodgson was also put under a five-year restraining order that banned him from entering Bywater Place in Surrey Quays where he was shot on Tuesday, and from contacting the woman. He died after forcing his way into a home in the road just before 5am on Tuesday, wearing body armour and threatening to harm those inside.

Watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the shooting, which is standard when there is a police fatality. On Tuesday, the watchdog revealed that weapons including crossbows, a knife, a sword and a hatchet were found at the scene.

Details of his sentence, and when it was handed down, suggest Hodgson could still have been under supervision by probation officers at the time of the incident.

IOPC regional director Mel Palmer said: “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 the community will want answers quickly and our investigators are working hard to establish the facts and piece together what occurred.”

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist, who has overall responsibility for firearms, said he “firmly” believes police actions “prevented further loss of life”. He added: “The first unarmed officers knew they were arriving on scene to reports of a man armed with weapons and threatening to harm people inside an address.

“The officers knew there were people inside and had genuine fears for their safety. Armed officers were called and attempted to get the man to surrender. They entered the property and shots were fired. I would like to pay tribute to the bravery of all our officers who responded and thank all the emergency service staff involved.”