"Roberts' murders took place on 12 August 1966 in Shepherd's Bush, west London. DS Christopher Head, 30, DC David Wombwell, 25, and PC Geoffrey Fox, 41, had stopped a van containing Roberts and his associates John Duddy and John Witney. The officers were carrying out a routine check when Roberts opened fire without warning, killing Wombwell at the scene and shooting Head in the back. Fox, who was seated in an unmarked police car, was shot through the windscreen."
"The brutality of the attack caused nationwide shock at a time when armed violence against police was exceptionally rare. The killings led to a 96-day search, one of the most extensive in British policing history. Roberts used his former military training to evade capture before he was eventually found sleeping rough in Hertfordshire. All three men were convicted at the Old Bailey."
Harry Roberts, who killed three police officers during a routine stop in Shepherd's Bush on 12 August 1966, has died aged 89 after a short illness. The victims were DS Christopher Head, DC David Wombwell, and PC Geoffrey Fox. Roberts opened fire without warning, using tactics later attributed to his former military training. The murders prompted a 96-day manhunt and were a defining moment for public debate on sentencing, parole and police protection. Roberts served 48 years in prison, was released on licence in 2014, and his release and death renewed anger and criticism within policing.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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