Aisha Zaman charged over Nottingham police officer shooting
A 27-year-old woman has been charged with firearms offences after a police officer was shot in the foot in Nottingham city centre, and further arrests have been made.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A police officer was shot in the foot in Nottingham city centre in the early hours of Sunday morning after he approached a man and a woman near a bus stop on Angel Row. The officer was taken to hospital, where he remains in a stable condition. Police said his injuries were not life-threatening but were life-altering, and that he had undergone surgery on his foot.
Nottinghamshire Police recovered a firearm at the scene. It appeared to be a sawn-off shotgun, and forensic officers examined it behind a cordon that closed part of the city centre for much of the day. The two suspects fled before officers could detain them, prompting a manhunt. Police later said they had made a series of arrests.
Assistant Chief Constable Claire Ruck called the shooting a shocking incident and a sobering reminder of the dangers officers face. Police and crime commissioner Gary Godden thanked members of the public who helped the injured officer before emergency services arrived. He said it had been 20 years since a police officer was shot in Nottingham. The Police Federation also praised the officer's courage.
On Sunday evening, police stopped a vehicle in the Radford area of Nottingham, about a mile from the city centre, and arrested three people. A 27-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. A 24-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. In the early hours of the next morning, a 30-year-old man was arrested in Bedfordshire on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Further arrests followed. Police arrested a 35-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman in the Nottingham area, and a 21-year-old in London. The 27-year-old woman, named by police as Aisha Zaman, has now been charged with two firearms offences: possessing a prohibited firearm and possessing it with intent to commit an indictable offence. She is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates Court. Police said the investigation remains active and that there is no wider threat to the public. Extra officers are expected in the city centre to reassure residents and businesses.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 4 or more of 5 channels | |||||
| An officer was shot in the foot in central Nottingham before 5am, and police were looking for two suspects. | Reported by Channel 4 | ||||
| Police recovered a firearm and maintained a cordon. | Not reported by Channel 5 | ||||
| The wounded officer was in a stable condition in hospital. | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News | |
| Two men and two women were arrested after the shooting. | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News | |
| Reported by a few · 2–3 channels | |||||
| The Nottinghamshire police commissioner said it was 20 years since a police officer had been shot in Nottingham. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News | |
| The police and crime commissioner appeared to indicate that officers knew the suspects' identities. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News | |
| Only on one channel | |||||
| A man and a woman fled the scene. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Police had not released descriptions of the male and female suspects. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The officer approached a man and a woman on Angel Road shortly before 5am. | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The Police Federation of England commended the officer for bravery and dedication. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News treated the shooting as rolling breaking news and paired scene details with a studio interview on how the investigation would unfold. Its commentary focused on single-crewed officers, body-worn video, CCTV trawls and the risks faced by unarmed police. Later Sky bulletins moved to arrest updates and the political and morale consequences of the incident.
- “A hunt is on for two suspects in Nottingham after a police officer was shot in the city centre early this morning.”
- “This is a shocking incident and a sobering reminder of the potential dangers faced by officers as they work to protect and serve the public.”
- “The exchange between the officer and both the suspects will have been captured on the officer's body-worn video.”
BBC ONE West kept to official police statements and on-the-ground reporting from Angel Row, with repeated updates on the officer's condition, the recovered shotgun and the arrests. Its later bulletins led on the legal step of a 27-year-old woman being charged and due in court, while also noting the rarity of such shootings in Nottingham.
- “A police officer was shot in Nottingham City Centre in the early hours of this morning.”
- “They have recovered a firearm,it's still in the street,it's believed to be a shotgun.”
- “A woman's been charged after the shooting of a police officer in Nottingham on Sunday”
ITV1 led with dramatic eyewitness footage of the aftermath and the public and police response at the scene. Its coverage stressed the officer's surgery and life-altering injuries, then tracked the arrest of four people and the police description of the incident as appalling.
- “The fat's been shot, bro.”
- “The officer is currently in hospital with a foot wound. A gun was recovered from the scene.”
- “His injuries are life-altering.”
Channel 4 News focused on the rarity of a city-centre police shooting and the forensic scene, including images of what looked like a sawn-off shotgun. It also pressed on the lack of a public suspect description and the suggestion that officers already knew who they were looking for, while noting the Police Federation's praise for officers.
- “It's rare to hear of a police officer being shot, particularly in the middle of a city centre.”
- “Earlier, we saw pictures of what looked like a sawn-off shotgun lying in the middle of the pavement.”
- “Luckily, he's in a stable condition. We're told that he's in hospital with his family.”
5 News gave short, repeated updates, moving from the initial manhunt to the first four arrests and then to further arrests in Nottingham and London. It used a clear timeline, showed the recovered weapon and highlighted the officer's stable condition and police reassurance that there was no wider threat.
- “Police are hunting two suspects after an officer was shot in Nottingham City Centre.”
- “There it is It's actually appears to be a sawn-off double-barrelled shotgun”
- “Further arrests have been made after a police officer was shot in the foot on Sunday in Nottingham City Centre.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 22:20 BST
Gary Godden, Nottinghamshire's police and crime commissioner
BBC News and Weather · Sun 18 Oct - 13:13 BST
- 13:13 BST
Claire Ruckus, Assistant Chief Constable
BBC News at One including · Mon 19 Oct
- 18:37 BST
- 22:10 BST
- 13:36 BST
- 10:01 BST
Claire Ruck, Assistant Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police
Sky News Today With Matt Barbet · Sun 18 Oct - 16:27 BST
Claire Ruckus, chief constable
Sky News Today with Jayne Secker · Mon 19 Oct
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.