A MAN suspected of carrying out a triple shooting was urged by police last night to give himself up as a huge manhunt entered its second day.
Officers in Northumbria are searching for Raoul Thomas Moat, 37, who is suspected of critically injuring his former partner, killing her boyfriend, and wounding a police officer.
He was released from prison on Thursday after serving a short sentence for assault and police have appealed to him directly to get in contact.
At a press conference in North Tyneside Detective Chief Superintendent Neil Adamson told Moat: “This must stop now.”
Police also named the man shot dead as Chris Brown, 29, who recently moved from Slough in Berkshire to the Gateshead area to take up a job as a karate instructor.
Moat’s former partner, Samantha Stobbart, 22, is currently in a critical condition in hospital after the attack in Birtley, Gateshead, in the early hours of Saturday.
It is thought Miss Stobbart was inside a house in the Scafell area when she was shot through the living room window.
Moments later Mr Brown is believed to have left the house, only to be struck down around 50 metres from the front door.
Less than 24 hours later, a man detectives identified as Moat was linked to the shooting in East Denton, Newcastle, in which 42-year-old PC David Rathband was seriously hurt after suffering gunshot wounds to the face and chest area.
Police said PC Rathband, married with two children and with 10 years on the force, was carrying out a “static patrol” on a roundabout when he was attacked.
He is in a “critical but stable” condition at Newcastle General Hospital, officers said.
Speaking at the conference today, Mr Adamson said Moat had made contact with the police around the time of the third shooting.
Appealing to Moat, he said: “You have told us that the police are not taking you seriously. We are. I want you to know that you have our full attention, innocent people have been hurt. This must stop now.”
Police also released a new photo of Moat, who is from the Fenham area of Newcastle.
He is described as 6ft 3in tall, white, of large muscular build, with very short or shaven blond hair and blue eyes.
A Northumbria Police spokesman said: “Anyone who has any information about this man is asked to call police immediately. He should not be approached.”
