A police officer has been taken to hospital after being shot in the foot in Nottingham city centre.
A man and a woman fled the scene after being approached shortly before the alleged shooting at around 4.50am today.
Officers recovered a sawn-off shotgun, but the two suspects remain at large.
A cordon was put in place on Angel Row, close to Nottingham City Council’s building, following what police described as a shocking incident.
Footage shared with the Daily Mail appears to show the injured officer slumped against the entrance of a Taco Bell restaurant while a member of the public holds his bare foot aloft.
Bouncers stood nearby before several police officers rushed to the scene. Traffic was brought to a complete standstill in the aftermath.
The officer is now receiving treatment in hospital for the gunshot wound to his foot.
Police recovered a sawn-off shotgun at the scene, pictured, but the suspects remain at large
A member of the public holds the injured officer’s bare foot in the air as it appears a colleague gives first aid outside a Taco Bell restaurant. His police-issued boot can be seen a short distance away
Police arrived soon afterwards and established a cordon, bringing traffic to a standstill on Angel Row in Nottingham city centre
The officer approached the suspects in the early hours of today before they opened fire in Nottingham city centre.
Several marked police cars remain at the location, while traffic cones have been placed beside items in the road that may be evidence.
The cordon has been extended to St James’s Street, with officers continuing to patrol the area.
Nadia Whittome, the Labour MP for Nottingham East, wrote on X: ‘My thoughts are with the injured police officer and his family following this truly shocking incident. We all wish him a full and speedy recovery.’
The Police Federation of England and Wales also sent its best wishes to the injured officer.
In a social media post, it said: ‘This is a stark reminder of the dangers police officers face every day while protecting the public.
‘Their courage and commitment must never be taken for granted.’
Terrified shoppers near the scene said that ‘no one feels safe here anymore’, describing Nottingham as ‘a terrifying place to be’.
A cordon was established on Angel Row, near Nottingham City Council’s building, as forensic officers examined the scene
Two suspects remain at large after a police officer was shot in Nottingham city centre in the early hours of Sunday
The damning indictment of the city came as forensics experts on Angel Row retrieved the sawn-off shotgun, which is understood to have been used to fire at the male police officer.
Local Janey Mills said: ‘It’s shocking that an officer has been shot while out on patrol. It’s lucky it wasn’t fatal.
‘Nottingham, many years ago, was the gun capital of the country and was labelled Shottingham but then became a safer and better place to live.
‘But in recent times it’s become an unsavoury once again with crime soaring.’
The office worker, 45, added: ‘I’d never come into the centre at night, as I wouldn’t feel safe, only the day time.
‘No one feels safe here any more. It’s a terrifying place to be.’
Another shopper, who gave her name as Natalie, said: ‘It’s horrible to hear that a policeman has been shot. If people go round firing at officers what chance do ordinary people have.
‘There too much gang culture and it feels increasingly dangerous.’
The early morning shooting happened in one of the busiest streets in the heart of the city.
It overlooks the town hall and market place where work was continuing today to erect a large ice rink for the city’s Christmas market, which opens next month.
Pubs and fast food shops, which would normally be bustling on a Sunday, remained closed due to the police cordon.
A pub manager, who had turned up to work unaware of the dramatic events hours earlier, spoke of his ‘surprise’ when police informed him what had happened.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘They said there had been a shooting and that one of their officers had been injured and that a cordon would remain in place for hours.
‘There are a lot of businesses in this street and we’re all losing money.
‘Today would be one if the busiest trading days for pubs and food places with Nottingham Forest playing Arsenal at home late afternoon.’
The man, who declined to be named, added: ‘I was surprised about the shooting which happened near my pub and feel sorry for the officer involved.’
A food delivery cyclist was stabbed by a thief who stole his bike a month ago, he said.
The man, who was among crowds of spectators watching on at the huge police presence in the city, continued: ‘I know a bit about weapons and it looked like a 12 calibre shotgun with the barrel and shoulder strap chopped off to make it more compact.
‘I think it was a random attack on the officer who was probably going about a normal routine patrol in the early morning. That would usually happen after a busy Saturday night.
‘He no doubt approached the suspects as routine and I don’t think he was acting on any intelligence because there would have been a full armed response.’
Nottingham was a gun-crime hotspot during the early 2000s and the city council even appointed a ‘reputation manager’ to remove the perception of it as an area blighted by gun-toting criminal gangs.
Crimes included the shooting of trainee PC Rachael Bown who was hit in the stomach at the scene of a break-in in February 2006. She retired from the force on medical grounds in 2010.
This was preceded by the murder in October 2004 of teenager Danielle Beccan, who died in a drive-by shooting as she walked home from a fair.
And shopkeeper Marian Bates was shot dead in October 2003 as she defended her daughter Xanthe from an armed robber during a raid on her jewellery shop.
The crime rate in Nottingham as of this month is 1.4 per 1,000 people – or 143 per cent of the national crime rate.
Last week a gunman who shot a rival in the foot before going on the run was jailed for 13 years.
Quamai Nugent, 34, brought two loaded pistols to a party in St Ann’s, an area east of the city centre, before seeking out and shooting his victim.
As panicked bystanders fled into the night, nearby response officers ran towards the scene in Lowdham Street, where they found Nugent brawling on the floor with his victim.
During a struggle in the early hours of June 2, 2024, the unarmed officers found one of Nugent’s guns on the floor and fought bravely to keep the weapon safe.
As they also struggled with several hostile onlookers, Nugent was able to flee the scene but was tracked down and arrested after a manhunt and public appeal.
The weapon used in the shooting – identified as a .44 calibre pistol by the bullet retrieved from the victim’s foot – was never recovered.
The second discarded firearm, however, was found to have traces of Nugent’s DNA in its internal mechanisms – a clear indication that he had assembled and loaded it himself.
Nugent, of no fixed address, later pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, and two counts of having a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence. He was jailed at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday.
Possession of weapons crime makes up 1.3 per cent of all crimes reported in the postcode area.
Possession of weapons crime totalled 1,700, representing a decrease of 2.3 per cent year-on-year.
Assistant Chief Constable Claire Rukas, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: ‘This was a deeply shocking incident that unfolded in front of members of the public, and we recognise the impact it will have had on those who witnessed it.
‘We would like to express our sincere thanks to the people who immediately came to the officer’s aid before additional emergency responders arrived at the scene.
‘The injured officer continues to be treated in hospital and our thoughts remain with the officer involved, their family, friends and colleagues at this time.
‘We also understand this incident will cause concern for people who live, work and visit the city centre.
‘However, I would like to reassure them that a team of experienced detectives are making good progress whilst working at pace to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
‘Incidents of this nature are extremely rare and there is currently no information to suggest a wider threat to the public.
‘We would also like to reassure people that there will be an increased police presence in the area and officers will be available to speak to anyone with concerns.’
She added that the safety of the public is Nottinghamshire Police’s ‘top priority’ and urged anyone with information to come forward.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 101 quoting incident 106 of October 18, 2026.
Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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