Man shot dead by police in Milton Keynes was armed with steak knife
An investigation by the policing watchdog continues
Last updated 25th Apr 2025
A man who was shot dead by police in Milton Keynes was armed with a large steak knife, the policing watchdog have confirmed.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) say their investigation into the shooting of David Joyce outside the railway station on 1 April continues to progress.
It has now been established that Mr Joyce, who lived in Milton Keynes but was originally from Galway in the Republic of Ireland, was armed with a steak knife, with a 12cm blade, when he ran at two officers. He was shot at close range by an officer from a Thames Valley Police armed response unit which was first on the scene.
Police received a 999 call about a man who 'definitely had a gun'
Police had been alerted following a 999 call from a man reporting that ‘there is a man with a gun down at the train station in Milton Keynes’.
The call handler rang back after the caller hung up during the call and spoke to the man again who said the man with the gun was acting suspiciously, looked like he was about to do something bad and ‘definitely’ had a gun.
Records show that the mobile phone number used to make the 999 call had been used to call police before and was linked to Mr Joyce.
The IOPC say CCTV footage shows Mr Joyce making a phone call at a time which matches with when the 999 call to police was made.
IOPC Director Derrick Campbell said: “We again extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of David Joyce and all those affected by this incident.
“We continue to keep his family informed of our progress.
“Our investigators are working hard to piece together the circumstances leading up to Mr Joyce being shot by a police officer and have already carried out a significant amount of enquiries."
The watchdog say all the officers who attended the incident remain as witnesses in their ongoing investigation as there is no indication that any of them may have committed a criminal offence or breached police professional standards of behaviour.