Police involved in a stand-off with gunman Raoul Moat are understood to have used two Taser stun guns, the police watchdog said today.
The gunman wanted in Britain for three shootings is believed to have killed himself early this morning in a standoff with police in rural northeast England.
An Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) spokesman said that two Tasers were discharged by officers during the siege between police and the former nightclub doorman.
Moat (37) died when he apparently shot himself in the head after being surrounded by armed police in the early hours of this morning. It followed a tense six-hour stand-off sparked when he was spotted on the riverbank in Rothbury, Northumbria.
IPCC Commissioner Nicholas Long said the watchdog would independently investigate the circumstances surrounding Moat’s death. Earlier today Mr Long said that part of the IPCC investigation would focus on the use of a Taser deployed by a police officer. Since then an IPCC spokesman confirmed that two of the stun guns were used.
A spokesman for the watchdog said there would be a full investigation into whether Northumbria Police used correct procedures during the incident. He said the findings would be published in due course.
Moat, a former bodybuilder and nightclub bouncer who bore a grudge against police, was surrounded by armed officers on a riverbank in the village of Rothbury in Northumberland where he had been living rough.
Extra police officers, marksmen 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.
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 police tried to persuade him to surrender.
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 short prison term for assault. Witnesses said Moat pointed a gun to his head when police began negotiating with him to give himself up.
Northumbria police said it appeared no officers had fired gunshots but the incident had been routinely referred to the police complaints watchdog.
"While the incident has been brought to a close we must be mindful of the impact it has had on many lives," temporary Chief Constable Sue Sim said.
Moat believed his former girlfriend had begun a relationship with a police officer while he was in prison. Police said this was untrue. In a hand-written 49-page letter to police published by a newspaper earlier this week, Moat vowed to kill policemen and not to stop "until I'm dead".
"They've hunted me for years, now it's my turn," wrote Moat.
Reuters