Louis De Zoysa has been named as the suspect who killed Police Sgt Matiu Ratana, 54.
He has been described as a reclusive young man who suffers from autism and lives with his parents in Norbury.
The New Zealand-born Metropolitan Police officer died in hospital on Friday after being shot in the chest at Croydon Custody Centre as he dealt with De Zoysa, who had been arrested for possession of ammunition and an alleged drugs offence.
De Zoysa, 23, from Norbury, was still handcuffed at the time as officers prepared to search him using a metal detector, the IOPC has said (the Independent Office for Police Conduct).
He is said to have shot himself after shooting Sgt Ratana and is in a critical condition in hospital.
De Zoysa was known previously to counter-terrorism officials and had previously been referred to the government’s Prevent programme, which is designed to stop people joining extremist groups and carrying out terrorist activities.
Another man was arrested in Norwich on suspicion of supplying a firearm. Met Police commissioner Dame Cressida Dick has said that the shooting was not being treated as terror-related. The IOPC is examining CCTV and police bodycam footage to establish how exactly the shootings took place but said De Zoysa was in handcuffs during the incident, with his hands behind his back.
Sgt Ratana, who was known as Matt, was shot in the chest at around 2.15am on Friday. He came to the UK in his early 20s in 1989 and joined the Met Police two years later. He was originally from the Hawke’s Bay area of New Zealand and was educated at Palmerston North Boy’s High School, north of the capital, Wellington.
He would have been eligible for retirement in two months and had a partner and an adult son from a previous relationship.
Sgt Ratana was heavily involved in rugby coaching. Ryan Morlen, assistant head coach at East Grinstead Rugby Club in West Sussex, described him as “an absolutely lovely bloke”. England Rugby paid tribute to the 54-year-old saying he “gave so much for our sport”.
New Zealand Police – where Sgt Ratana worked between 2003 and 2008 before returning to the UK – also sent their condolences, adding: “Policing is a family.”
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