British fugitive kills himself during police stand-off

Reuters

One of Britain's biggest manhunts ended dramatically on Saturday with fugitive gunman Raoul Moat shooting himself dead to end a six-hour armed stand-off with police. A spokesman said 37-year-old Moat shot himself in a field at Rothbury in Northumberland. 

Moat, who had been on the run for a week after a deadly shooting rampage, was surrounded by police in Rothbury, in Northumberland.

The village lies at the very epicentre of the massive manhunt.

Moat was cornered by a riverbank late Friday and had been negotiating with experts for six hours before shooting himself. He was pronounced dead in hospital at 1:20 universal time Saturday.

He was wanted for shooting dead his ex-girlfriend's new partner, and seriously injuring her plus a policeman in the Newcastle area shortly after being released from prison.

In letters left for detectives he claimed to be a "killer and a maniac", declared "war" on the police and said in a letter to them he would not stop killing "till I'm dead".