The killing of a man armed with a crossbow in Shildon yesterday marked the first fatal shooting by firearms officers from Durham Police. Joe Willis reports.

ALTHOUGH firearms officers have been deployed on numerous occasions, only once before have Durham Police marksmen opened fire on a member of the public.

The fatal shooting of Shildon father Keith Richards is the first in the force’s modern history.

Until yesterday, the most serious incident occurred in 1992 when they shot 24-yearold Keith Pringle in the face, bringing a 47-hour siege to a dramatic conclusion.

The drama began when Pringle shot and injured his friend, Jason Ward, and then his former girlfriend’s mother, Pauline Rees.

He then took her daughter, 21-year-old Leanne Rees, hostage at her home in Lyonette Road, Darlington.

Pringle accidentally fired the gun into the ceiling at one stage and Miss Rees believed she had been hit. Pringle mockingly told police he had shot her.

The siege ended after Pringle started drinking and appeared at the window pointing to his heart or his head, daring the police to shoot him.

Moments before being shot, he aimed at a police marksman behind cover and shouted: “I’ll start it off.”

The Police Complaints Authority later ruled that police were right to shoot the hostage taker.

A year earlier, Durham firearms officers had been involved in another incident which ended in tragedy.

Police marksmen were called to Butsfield, near Consett, to reports of a shooting.

They arrived to find former steelworker Albert Dryden had shot dead Harry Collinson, chief planning officer at Derwentside District Council.

Mr Collinson was shot at point-blank range after he arrived to oversee the demolition of Dryden’s illegally-built bungalow.

Two other people were taken to hospital with gunshot wounds.

On arrival, firearms officers surrounded Dryden’s caravan until he was arrested after being overpowered.

Questions were raised at the time as to why armed officers had not been consulted on the operation; why an armed response vehicle was at Consett police station if Dryden was not considered a threat; and why the demolition was to be carried out in the full glare of the media spotlight, possibly inflaming an already volatile situation.

Following the tragedy, the force put in place new policies.

Retired police sergeant David Blackie attended the Dryden incident and later wrote a book about the day.

He said: “Firearms officers would only shoot if their lives or other people’s lives are being threatened.

“They would not ‘shoot to kill’ – the term that is used is ‘shoot to stop’.”

All shooting incidents are automatically referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Last night, the IPCC said it had already begun an investigation and an update is expected later today.

Although firearms officers have only twice opened fire with live ammunition, a number of incidents have seen them use rubber bullets.

In 2006, a Durham police officer armed with a rubber bullet gun shot father-ofseven Brian Loan, of Sacriston.

An electronic stun gun was also used on him after he allegedly threatened a woman with a samurai sword.

Three days later, Mr Loan died of a suspected heart attack.

An inquest into the death of the 47-year-old ruled that he died from long-term heart disease.

Last year, Durham and Cleveland police forces received £500,000 from the Home Office to fund and research a merger involving their respective firearms teams.

Police chiefs in Durham and Cleveland claim the “unique collaboration project” could eventually set a precedent for armed police teams throughout the UK.

At present, Durham and Cleveland each have about 100 officers who are authorised to use firearms, with the two forces already sharing a joint training centre in Urlay Nook, near Stockton.

It is hoped the move will free up time at the centre, allowing other forces to use the facilities.