Friday, 2 January 2026

What They Don't Say Is Often More Telling Than What They Do...

Back on the sleepy Sunday after Christmas, criminal shenanigans were occurring in Thetford, when what appeared to be a simple motoring collision rapidly became something else:


My ears pricked up at the lack of the usual boilerplate for these incidents, something along the lines of 'Armed police challenged the man who failed to comply and was subsequently shot'. The lack makes me wonder if a warning wasn't issued, which is rare and only occurs when they have no time to do so (and even then, they often lie thst they did so even when it would be understandable that they didn't).

It got stranger - albeity a little more explanatory - when reporters found witnesses who claimed the man pointed his gun at a woman, but it appears now that this was before the ARV appeared on the scene. 

Then this line kept cropping up in online reports:
The man was approached by officers and, a short time later, shot by police from a short distance away.
Again, no mention of a challenge and surely suspects are always shot 'from a short distance away'? Isn't that the point of a gun, after all? Then there was a local news report stating that the next of kin had been contacted, yet still no name, no details other than age, in his sixties (!), with a report stating that the name will be released after a post mortem. The MSM is pretty quiet on this one too.

The authorities didn't waste time rolling out some typical boilerplate statements, however:
Terry Jermy, Labour MP for South West Norfolk, said: "Fortunately, incidents like this are incredibly rare and Thetford remains a safe place to live."

Not mentioning which aspects of it are the rarest, I see, Tel 'ol' son.... 

14 comments:

  1. Thetford? If the family have been informed, why the no naming? I regret that the cynical side of me suggests the male has an exotic surname, hence the lack of details. Would love to be corrected.
    Penseivat

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  2. "Thetford remains a safe place to live."

    Compared with where, I wonder?

    https://www.paramountsecsolutions.com/the-top-12-most-dangerous-places-in-east-england/

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  3. Been named now:

    https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/25734710.gunman-shot-dead-a11-thetford-named-tony-keeble/

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    Replies
    1. Yes, and NOW they are stating they did challenge after all: "Mr Keeble was found by officers on the side of the A11, and was ordered to drop his weapon twice. "

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  4. Hardly surprising to find someone with a gun at a place called the "Thetford Ranges" roundabout. And yes, there do appear to be some firing ranges there.

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    Replies
    1. But don't you have to kep thos AT the range? And aren't handguns banned anyway, since Dunblane?

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    2. Not completely banned but they are strictly controlled if you are staying legal. Criminals don't seem to have a problem getting them and from what I read it is getting easier, for the bad guys, to get one. They don't have to be kept at the range but it is easier if you do.

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  5. So far not clear where Mr Keeble is from. Local or not I wonder?

    I wonder when the "mental elf issues" card will be played? Or, alternatively "he woz high on drugs" as a mitigation.

    Also expecting claims that the police should not have shot to kill, but to hit him in the arm, or some such twaddle.

    John Tee

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  6. Tony Keeble. Not exotic at all. I stand corrected.
    Penseivat

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  7. One other thing missing was a statement that a firearm was recovered from the scene. That seems to be missing.

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  8. @LordT

    https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/news/update-investigation-fatal-police-shooting-norfolk

    "What appeared to be a non-police issue firearm was recovered from the scene."

    I am not sure what to make of the detail that the firearm recovered was not police issue. Do not most fire arms fall into that classification?

    John Tee

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    Replies
    1. Missed that. Thank you.

      Not sure what non-police issue means. I can only think that it isn't a registered gun owner but an imported one. If it was made then I'm sure they would have said so so they could then clamp down on metal files.

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