A police negotiator spoke of his surprise when the instigator of a siege was shot.
Alistair Bell was killed after a stand-off with police at his home in Cockley Hill Lane, Kirkheaton, on the morning of December 28, 2010.
The fatal shooting came after the 42-year-old fired a “sustained hail of bullets” at police officers the previous day.
A senior police negotiator, known only as E19, gave evidence to the inquest yesterday and said: “It certainly wasn’t what I expected. I expected negotiations to continue.”
The officer was one of three negotiation officers at the scene and he described the moments before the shots were fired.
E19 said: “There had been a change. Our dealings with Bell were more positive than earlier.
“I became aware of a police officer shouting ‘Drop the gun’ and then I heard three shots.
“I didn’t know where they came from or who fired the shots.”
E19 was 25 yards from the Kirkheaton house behind a bullet proof Land Rover with a bullet proof shield as extra protection.
He said that contact with Bell had first been negative. Bell told him he had booby trapped the house, that he was dead and would go out in a blaze of glory.
E19 explained: “It could have been bluster, but that was the tone at that point.
“The communication we had with him later was about food, water and his dog Axel. It was at odds with hours earlier.”
E19 explained that Bell shouted that he was lying after he told Bell the officers fired at were not seriously injured.
It is believed Bell had seen a report on Sky News and made the comments about being ‘dead’ in relation to his shooting of the officers.
Earlier in the inquest a specialist firearms officer – D10 – described the tactical operations.
D10 said they ruled out direct action, instead opting for a contain and communicate method. D10 was asked by Sean Horstead, defence barrister for Bell’s partner and daughter, what consideration was given to the officers’ welfare, specifically that of D20 who fired the fatal shot.
D10 said that firearms officers were paired and it was in their own interests to analyse each other’s safety as “their own lives were in their colleagues’ hands too”.
He added that they were aware officers outside all night would become lethargic and they would ask for ‘fit to continue’ calls to be made.
He said firearms officers from South Yorkshire Police were on hand and replacements due on scene at 7am, but the siege ended with the fatal shot at 5am.
The inquest continues.
