Police kill gunman in London, England

May 8, 2008

On Tuesday, armed police with Scotland Yard killed an armed man in a gunfight on Kings Road in London, England.

Police arrived at the scene at about 4:50 p.m. local time, after receiving reports of gun shots into a child's bedroom in the area in Chelsea in the west of the capital. Shortly after arriving, police were shot at by Mark Saunders, 32. Although negotiators were on the scene, the police were shot at a further two times before raiding the house at 9:43. According to eyewitnesses, four explosions were heard before the police raided the house, producing green light and shattering glass, suggesting the police made use of 'flashbang' grenades to attempt to subdue Mr. Saunders before he was fatally wounded.

It is believed the cause of the incident was an argument with his recently separated wife Elizabeth Clarke, also a lawyer, to whom he had been married for a year and a half. Being a former member of the Honourable Artillery Company and certified shotgun owner the gun used was legal.

The case has been turned over to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, who will be investigating the incident. Large areas of King's Road have been cordoned off, and nearby property owners were told to lock themselves into their homes and shops while negotiations were carried out.