Body of Clacton gunman Peter Reeve found in churchyard:
Essex police say they discovered 64-year-old suspect dead along with handgun in grounds of church near Chelmsford
The body of the man wanted for shooting dead an off-duty police officer and wounding another man has been found in a churchyard in Essex, detectives have confirmed.
Police said they discovered the body of Peter Reeve, 64, following a phone call from a member of the public just after 8.30am on Tuesday.
The body was found, along with a handgun, in the grounds of a church in the village of Writtle, near Chelmsford.
Speaking at a press conference, Jim Barker-McCardle, the chief constable for Essex police, said: "I can confirm Peter Reeve, the man wanted for the murder of a serving police officer, was found dead, with a weapon in a Writtle churchyard and no shots were fired by the police."
PC Ian Dibell, 41, was killed and a member of the public wounded in the leg after a gunman opened fire during a dispute in a residential street in the seaside town of Clacton in Essex on Monday.
Dibell, who lived near the Redbridge Road crime scene, is understood to have intervened in a dispute.
Barker-McCardle said the discovery of Reeve's body followed a "substantial" overnight manhunt, adding that police had also established that the suspect had "clear family connections" with both Clacton and Chelmsford.
The chief constable said the churchyard may well have held significance for Reeve, who, he stressed, remained the only suspect in "a terrible sequence of events".
Detectives said Reeve was "largely unknown to police" and did not hold a firearms certificate. But in any case, they added, he would not have been legally entitled to possess a handgun as such weapons are subject to stringent legal controls.
Barker-McCardle said a number of lines of inquiry were being pursued as to the motive.
"There must have been some sort of catalyst that prompted the scale of a tragedy of this kind," he said.
The family of Dibell called him a "hero" and said he had paid for his actions "in the most devastating way".
In a statement read out by Barker-McCardle, they said: "The family are devastated by the news. We are immensely proud of Ian and the courage he showed. We take some comfort from his bravery.
"Policing was in his blood and Ian selflessly went to the aid of people in desperate need without fear or thought for his own safety. It was who he was, a hero.
"He has paid for the act in the most devastating way. He will be deeply missed and no words can describe the loss. He was very much loved by his family.
"We would like to thank Essex police, friends and colleagues within the policing family and the public for their kind words and support.
"Finally the family now asks that the media leave us in peace to grieve for Ian."
guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Essex police say they discovered 64-year-old suspect dead along with handgun in grounds of church near Chelmsford
The body of the man wanted for shooting dead an off-duty police officer and wounding another man has been found in a churchyard in Essex, detectives have confirmed.
Police said they discovered the body of Peter Reeve, 64, following a phone call from a member of the public just after 8.30am on Tuesday.
The body was found, along with a handgun, in the grounds of a church in the village of Writtle, near Chelmsford.
Speaking at a press conference, Jim Barker-McCardle, the chief constable for Essex police, said: "I can confirm Peter Reeve, the man wanted for the murder of a serving police officer, was found dead, with a weapon in a Writtle churchyard and no shots were fired by the police."
PC Ian Dibell, 41, was killed and a member of the public wounded in the leg after a gunman opened fire during a dispute in a residential street in the seaside town of Clacton in Essex on Monday.
Dibell, who lived near the Redbridge Road crime scene, is understood to have intervened in a dispute.
Barker-McCardle said the discovery of Reeve's body followed a "substantial" overnight manhunt, adding that police had also established that the suspect had "clear family connections" with both Clacton and Chelmsford.
The chief constable said the churchyard may well have held significance for Reeve, who, he stressed, remained the only suspect in "a terrible sequence of events".
Detectives said Reeve was "largely unknown to police" and did not hold a firearms certificate. But in any case, they added, he would not have been legally entitled to possess a handgun as such weapons are subject to stringent legal controls.
Barker-McCardle said a number of lines of inquiry were being pursued as to the motive.
"There must have been some sort of catalyst that prompted the scale of a tragedy of this kind," he said.
The family of Dibell called him a "hero" and said he had paid for his actions "in the most devastating way".
In a statement read out by Barker-McCardle, they said: "The family are devastated by the news. We are immensely proud of Ian and the courage he showed. We take some comfort from his bravery.
"Policing was in his blood and Ian selflessly went to the aid of people in desperate need without fear or thought for his own safety. It was who he was, a hero.
"He has paid for the act in the most devastating way. He will be deeply missed and no words can describe the loss. He was very much loved by his family.
"We would like to thank Essex police, friends and colleagues within the policing family and the public for their kind words and support.
"Finally the family now asks that the media leave us in peace to grieve for Ian."
guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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