A man suspected of shooting an off-duty police officer in Essex has been found dead in a churchyard after a round-the-clock manhunt, Essex police said on Tuesday.
In a press conference Essex Chief Constable Jim Barker-McCardle said: "I can confirm that Peter Reeves was found dead with a weapon in a Writtle churchyard and no shots were fired by police."
Reeves, 64, was suspected of killing Pc Ian Dibell when a gunman struck in a residential street in the seaside town of Clacton in Essex. A member of the public sustained leg injuries in the attack. Reeves was found this morning with wounds to the head.
The man who was injured but survived the attack was named locally as Trevor Marshall, 48. His ex-wife Pauline told reporters she had never heard of Reeve until last night.
She added: "We are so grateful to the police officer. He is clearly a hero who saved Trevor's life."
Pictures showed a police tent had been erected in what appeared to be a graveyard in Writtle.
Police said a number of lines of inquiry were being pursued as to the motive.
He added: "There must have been some sort of catalyst that prompted the scale of a tragedy of this kind."
The family of Pc Dibell called him a "hero" and said he had paid for his actions "in the most devastating way".
"Policing was in his blood and Ian selflessly went to the aid of people in desperate need without fear or thought for his own safety. It was who he was, a hero," they said.
Earlier officers said the risk to the public from suspect Peter Reeve, 64, was over following an overnight manhunt.
Essex police said they had received a phone call from a member of the public shortly after 8:30am on Tuesday morning. They also confirmed Reeve had family ties in the Chelmsford area.
"I believe the call that we received certainly led us to believe that shots may have been fired in or near the churchyard."
Police seal off the graveyard in Writtle, where Reeve's body was found
Constable Barker-McCardle said a handgun had been used in the attack and Mr Reeve, who was "largely unknown to police", did not hold a firearms licence.
Police also paid tribute to Pc Dibell saying he "must have known he was in mortal danger."
"He paid the ultimate price for looking after the public," he said.
Officers added that members of Dibell's family were also in the police force. "I can't go into detail exactly who they are," they said. "But he is part of a very strong family, relationship with Essex police."
Police confirmed the murder investigation was ongoing.
Witness Marcus Griffin told BBC News police were "blocking off both entrances" of the churchyard's cemetery on Tuesday morning: "When I was coming in this morning there were lots of police all around, lots of traffic. A police officer told us to hold on.
"Then, as we went past where the cemetery area is, there were police cars all around blocking off both entrances.
"One lady I heard asked 'should we leave' and he said 'as far as I know, no.' That was all they really said to us."
Article continues below
Dr Natalie Mann, a criminologist at Anglia Ruskin, who lives on the estate next to where the shooting occurred in Clacton said the police helicopters were "above our houses all night."
"It's very interesting and quite frightening as a resident of Clacton which is a very small town and a close-knit community. But because it is a small town people tend to know someone who was involved, we hear rumours. It has sent shockwaves through the town," she told The Huffington Post UK.
"Professionally, it's very interesting as well. You tend to feel much more involved in it as you're seeing events as they unfold.
"Because Pc Dibell was an innocent bystander, that's what makes this all the more shocking."
Detectives from Essex Police launched a round-the-clock search involving armed response units and scores of officers after Pc Dibell, 41, was shot in Redbridge Road at around 3.40pm on Monday.
Constable Jim Barker-McCardle described Pc Dibell as a "brave, respected and experienced neighbourhood officer" on Monday and said early indications were that he lost his life after deliberately intervening in an "extremely deadly situation".
He would not reveal the fine details of the altercation, but reports suggest the off-duty officer had challenged the gunman who was chasing a man and woman along Redbridge Road, where it is believed the dead policeman lived.
Police released a photograph of suspect Peter Reeve, 64, and vowed to "not rest" until he was captured and taken into custody.
A local resident told the BBC that she and her next-door neighbour heard a woman screaming then what they thought were five or six gunshots. Another local, Eric Long, 80, said he saw the gunman from his window.
Andrew Gallehawk, who witnessed the shooting on Monday told ITV's Daybreak it was "one of those Clint Eastwood-type things."
"It looked like a blonde guy, taking aim and made a couple of shots at him.
"Another guy flew past the house, sort of running, and that I assume now is the off-duty policeman.
"And then there were some more shots and then about five or six minutes after that there was a lady who seemed to be screaming in the middle of the road, and then we had all the police."
He added: "It was like one of those Clint Eastwood-type things where you've got the guy sort of crouching slightly on his knees and he's just taken a shot.
"I thought it was an airgun at first but obviously when I spoke to the police they said to stay in the house because it wasn't, it was live."
David Cameron paid tribute to Ian Dibell in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, saying his death was "a reminder of the immense debt" we owe the police. "[It's] a reminder of what the police do on our behalf every day of the year."