UK gunman kills himself in standoff

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.
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.

“We can now confirm that Raoul Moat died in hospital early this morning,” police said.
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.

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.

The Northumbria police said it appeared no officers had fired gunshots in the stand-off but a taser stun gun was discharged.