UPDATE: Gunman on run after off-duty policeman shot dead in Clacton

11:20pm Monday 9th July 2012 in News

UPDATE: Gunman on run after man shot dead in Clacton UPDATE: Gunman on run after man shot dead in Clacton

Man shot dead in Clacton

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POLICE have confirmed a man has been killed and another man seriously injured in a double shooting in Great Clacton.

Officers were called to the scene shortly after 3.30pm on Monday following reports of gunshots in Fairlop Close.

Speaking at a press conference chief constable Jim Barker-McCardle said: "A number of calls to police were received around 3.40 p.m. on Monday and all reported similar events – a man with a handgun seen shooting at another man in the area of Redbridge Road, Clacton-on-Sea.

"The victim, Constable Ian Dibell, an off-duty serving Essex Police officer aged 41, is understood to have intervened and challenged Peter Reeve, who then shot the officer.

"The officer received fatal wounds and was certified dead at the scene. Specially trained officers are currently with the officer’s family."

Armed response vehicles were deployed to the area and began a search for Peter Reeve. Local officers were also deployed to protect the public. A strong Police presence remains on the streets.

A second man was injured during the incident, taken from the scene and conveyed to hospital. He has leg injuries which are not life threatening.

Mr Barker-McCardle said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of our incredibly brave and fallen colleague. "Policing is a family and we are all hurting. "We will not rest until the killer is found."

The vehicle used by the suspect Peter Reeve has been found abandoned at the junction of Epping Close and Jubilee Avenue but he remains outstanding.

Peter Reeve is described as 64 years of age and described as a white man with grey hair and of stocky build. Although the incident took plact in Clacton he is also known to frequent the Chelmsford area.

Armed police are currently at the scene.

Residents are being urged to stay indoors while a manhunt is launched.

A witness said: "One guy was laying dead on the path and another has been wounded.

"There are ambulances, police and a couple of policemen with guns and flack jackets."

Police say the gunman should not be approached.

A police spokesman said: "Residents are being urged to remain indoors while armed officers locate the gunman.

"Neighbourhood policing officers are maintaining a high-profile and visible presence in the community, supporting victims and witnesses."

Police helicopters have joined the search for the gunman.

Anyone who sees him should call 999.

The scene of a double shooting in Clacton remains behind a police cordon.

At least eight police cars, including armed officers, are at the scene.

Comments(20)

Colchesterperson says...
6:12pm Mon 9 Jul 12

He could be anywhere by now!

without a description at all what are people ment to do :s call 999 when they see a running man? its not likely hes going to be having the gun visible if at all! they wont put a description for a murderer basically but they do if its a silly crime!!

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barry79 says...
6:25pm Mon 9 Jul 12

So Clacton sees a multitude od stabbings and beatings, even a man held up with a gun for a cigarette. Whether that gun was real or not is irrelevant. Since then i have seen myself told off by a PCSO for riding 2 feet on the path on a bike so i could take a phone call, but no response to heavy drinkers slouching in the streets with beer cans. No big presence of police at night. No stop an searches of anyone. And now we have a shooting. Not the areas first but if it wasn't poor taste id put a bet on at ladbrokes that we see another violent death before christmas. Will the mp's, judges and police ever start to do something? Doubtful. The real solution is maybe find a Ronnnie or Reggie Kray, criminals perhaps but they instilled respect and if you were well behaved an a decent person you didnt have much to fear from them. Nowadays you fear the police if your doing something they can fine you for or if you're the sort they arent afraid to arrest. Other than that drink do drugs an intimidate an be violent an all is good. What a pathetic country this is.

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swissy says...
6:30pm Mon 9 Jul 12

So Carswell thinks Clacton is the garden of Eden, so out of touch.

I've been local to 5 murders now, in 5 years.

We're not shocked, we're waiting....for you Mr Carswell. Do something, improve the schools, clamp down hard on anti social behaviour, because this is as bad as the suburbs of London.

I guess you're not around to see it, fingers crossed for you.

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swissy says...
6:33pm Mon 9 Jul 12

Thoughts are with the families of the victims tonight.

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Ozzy says...
6:33pm Mon 9 Jul 12

Anyone have a description yet so we know who/what to look out for?

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shaun16664 says...
7:30pm Mon 9 Jul 12

I cannot believe what this place has come too,i drove up to scene literally a minute after it happened to drop work colleague off and so distressing to see this sort of event happen to another human being!What happened to queensbury rules to sort differences out.The bloody courts i say as you get more sentencing for like fraud but stab,shoot or attack someone and slap on wrist as such!!! when will criminal courts ever learn! My condolences to families affected.

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Nicola.T says...
7:33pm Mon 9 Jul 12

Our thoughts are with the families who have been affected... But how inconsiderate for police to say "anyone who see's him should call 999". See's who.....

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Familyman37 says...
7:36pm Mon 9 Jul 12

The Krays, Seriously????
No one go shot then did they?
If you was well behaved and decent you didn't have MUCH to fear from them..MUCH!!
What about the honest shopkeepers and business owners who had to pay them protection money or face the consequences?
One answer is stop cutting police funding so we can have a better presence of the streets.
I don't pretend to know all the answers but our MP's and councilors need to have a serious think about things!

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cavillas says...
7:41pm Mon 9 Jul 12

I wonder if it was because the poor victim was a policeman? There are too many people who think violence is the only answer to problems. Hope they find him and shoot him dead, it will save all the expense of a trial, appeals and keeping him in prison.

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silverfox911 says...
7:51pm Mon 9 Jul 12

the problem started quite a few years ago with the amount of do gooder's in this country, ie first they stopped teacher's chastising children bang went their respect!! the their was the parent's could not hit their children bang went their respect!! the they start on the police force and take power's away from them? if the police try to stop bad behaver from teenager's they get a big asbo and laugh at the police if some one is done for murder what do they get 15-20 years and out in 10 he still has a life what about the innocent their familys that have to live on with their thoughts for the rest of their live's i say bring back HANGING and Burching in public and stop all governments from making our police force smaller if the do goodder's had their way their would be one pc to every million people. their is no way i could do the job of the police because of the lack of power's they have, i would not like any of my family doing their job as it stands. all i can say is dam all governments their all the same?????

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swissy says...
8:12pm Mon 9 Jul 12

jollyfishfrier wrote:
swissy wrote:
So Carswell thinks Clacton is the garden of Eden, so out of touch. I've been local to 5 murders now, in 5 years. We're not shocked, we're waiting....for you Mr Carswell. Do something, improve the schools, clamp down hard on anti social behaviour, because this is as bad as the suburbs of London. I guess you're not around to see it, fingers crossed for you.
First of all, I appologise for failing to acknowledge the sad loss to families Involved in this Incident.

next, I see your comments swissy of we ARE waiting, as being honest & correct,
but is it Douglas`s failings in Tendring,
or the whole council themselves?
I agree Tendring IS getting as bad as Londons city centres & certain boroughs,
with black on black shootings being carried out daily.
Operation TRIDENT was brought in to try and curtail "that" type of killing.
We in Tendring have an "open door" policy for anyone who is homeless, and who presents themselves to Town Hall in search of housing, BUT, most come from the crime ridden areas within London, thus bringing in behaviour seen here daily..
OK, back to the news story swissy,
do you not agree, that until all of us find out who or why,
the victims and the gunman,
our comments in general are wasted.
Not pointing the finger at who is responsible, my comments were directed at irresponsible comments from our MP.

If they do not think there is an issue, then who will fight the good cause?

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sanne49 says...
9:58pm Mon 9 Jul 12

until they stop all this building being allowed it will only get worse clacton is just be coming a dumping ground tendring council is just allowing this to happen certain london boroughs are telling people go to tendring they will help anyone and the descent people who brought nice properties for there retirement are being driven out by all the people tendering council are helping it must stop otherwise we will have more and more of this sort of crime my condolences to the officers family

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swissy says...
10:30pm Mon 9 Jul 12

There are many reasons why this once nice town has degenerated so much, lack of investment, especially in education, housing policy, the allowance of anti social behaviour, etc etc

What concerns me is that the council, and our MP, are oblivious to it.

I cannot wait till someone makes an offer on my house, we've reduced it by over 10%, we just want out of this dirty, deprived, degenerated town, but of course Mr Carswell will tell you it's paradise.

Let's hope we all stay safe tonight, and say a prayer for Ian Dibell and his family, who have lost a very brave man.

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markymark1981 says...
5:29am Tue 10 Jul 12

if it hadnt been a police officer shot and killed then this probably wouldnt have even made the headlines - thoughts go out to the families tonight.

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elwoodblues says...
6:20am Tue 10 Jul 12

markymark1981 wrote:
if it hadnt been a police officer shot and killed then this probably wouldnt have even made the headlines - thoughts go out to the families tonight.
I registered purely to comment on this ridiculous statement. Do you seriously think this would not have made the news? Surely murder hasn't become quite that commonplace yet. Time to think of the victim's family, not point fingers.

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justinhope says...
8:35am Tue 10 Jul 12

elwoodblues wrote:
markymark1981 wrote:
if it hadnt been a police officer shot and killed then this probably wouldnt have even made the headlines - thoughts go out to the families tonight.
I registered purely to comment on this ridiculous statement. Do you seriously think this would not have made the news? Surely murder hasn't become quite that commonplace yet. Time to think of the victim's family, not point fingers.
Well it is Clacton Elwood, i think the point is, if it was a civilian that was shot it would not be such a big story!!!

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Sdapeze says...
9:30am Tue 10 Jul 12

This was a civilian. It could have been you. Fool!

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swissy says...
3:50pm Wed 11 Jul 12

jollyfishfrier wrote:
This swissy is not quite true. "What concerns me is that the council, and our MP, are oblivious to it." the police have to apply for each dispersal order every 6 months per each areas request, then the council have to agree to it being so. then, " lack of investment, especially in education, housing policy" agree to part of that in housing policy, but, it WILL be changing in a few months. ok, education - well, a £25 plus million pound new school has never been used to its full potential because the council pulled the plug on builders building a new housing estate of many hundreds of various homes in 2006. That foe par was purely TDC`s fault.
Not quite sure what you're saying is not right, but what remains a fact is that Clacton is an under-deprived area in all aspects.

Therfore, it's not surprising the level of anti-social behaviour etc is as high as it is.

In recent communication with my MP and the Council, they don't seem to think there is an issue, with any aspect their policy.

Anyway, we're straying off the tracks, lets all leave Clacton, and leave the scum to the council to deal with how they want. Looks like they just want to keep building low cost housing and poor schools.

It's their choice, and mine is "ouatta here" - please someone buy my house, I've knocked £15k off the price.

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Talbot-Harrington says...
5:56pm Wed 11 Jul 12

An awful report, in what appears to be a horrid situation.
Murders in St Osyth last year and now this.
It further ruins the already fragile reputation of North Essex, non the least the devastation it has caused for PC Dibel's family:The comments and conjecture will carry on within the heated debate and moral concern of this horrendous incident:Authorities and Political heavyweights alike will have to assess whether the rules for personal gun ownership need reforming. It is understood that the killer was a member of a gun club, which entitles ownership of weapons etc. I feel that all club owners should have their weapons stored and locked at the club venue and not at their home. This includes the Clay Pigeon brigade all and sundry: Farmers & Game Keepers who use this stuff, need to have them stored at a professional weapons site/shop/Or Local Police armoury: There is now a situation where people can no longer be entrusted to own guns in domestic properties 24/7:
I am sure this will open up a debate of opinions, However in my book one death is more than too many and this type of firearm ownership has to be curtailed.
One asks how many gun owners have had proper and professional training on the subject matter, or previous military weapon handling career experience?
It is far too easy to get angry with someone and pull out a shotgun from your cupboard to display your consternation to another party with catastrophic consequenses:

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barkerpaul says...
9:02pm Wed 11 Jul 12

this is a sad time for clacton but i cannot help but wander why when a policeman is shot they send over 40 police cars and 3 helicopters and when a normal person is killed we get just 4 cars and 1 helicopter?

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