<p>Raoul Moat, a 37-year-old former bodybuilder and nightclub bouncer who bore a grudge against the police, was surrounded by armed officers on a riverbank in the picturesque town of Rothbury in Northumberland where he had been living rough. <br />Extra armed police officers, snipers and armoured vehicles were rushed to the area to help a week-long manhunt for Moat, who had declared war on police and later threatened the public. The police had even turned to the military for advice. <br /><br />“We can now confirm that Raoul Moat died in hospital early this morning,” police said. <br />Moat was wanted for the shooting of his ex-girlfriend, the killing of her boyfriend and the shooting of a policeman last weekend, days after he was freed from a prison term for assault. Moat believed his former girlfriend had begun a relationship with a police officer while he was in prison. Police said this was untrue. <br /><br />Witnesses said Moat, who had been spotted by walkers standing at the edge of the river on Friday evening, pointed a gun to his head when the police tried to persuade him to surrender. <br /><br />The Northumbria police said it appeared no officers had fired gunshots in the stand-off but a taser stun gun was discharged.</p>
<p>Raoul Moat, a 37-year-old former bodybuilder and nightclub bouncer who bore a grudge against the police, was surrounded by armed officers on a riverbank in the picturesque town of Rothbury in Northumberland where he had been living rough. <br />Extra armed police officers, snipers and armoured vehicles were rushed to the area to help a week-long manhunt for Moat, who had declared war on police and later threatened the public. The police had even turned to the military for advice. <br /><br />“We can now confirm that Raoul Moat died in hospital early this morning,” police said. <br />Moat was wanted for the shooting of his ex-girlfriend, the killing of her boyfriend and the shooting of a policeman last weekend, days after he was freed from a prison term for assault. Moat believed his former girlfriend had begun a relationship with a police officer while he was in prison. Police said this was untrue. <br /><br />Witnesses said Moat, who had been spotted by walkers standing at the edge of the river on Friday evening, pointed a gun to his head when the police tried to persuade him to surrender. <br /><br />The Northumbria police said it appeared no officers had fired gunshots in the stand-off but a taser stun gun was discharged.</p>