Reed Wischhusen: Court shown footage of officers shooting gunman

Jurors were shown police body camera footage showing the moment a house search turned dangerous, as a man threatens officers with a gun.

Reed Wischhusen, 32, from Wick St Lawrence, is accused of firearms offences at Bristol Crown Court.

The court watched footage showing police searching Mr Wischhusen's home in November, after receiving a tip-off that he had weapons.

Police found weapons and decided to arrest him.

The footage showed Mr Wischhusen agreeing to go with the police, but asking to use the bathroom first, taking a jacket with a gun in it with him.

With the bathroom door shut, police heard a weapon firing.

Police did not know until later that the defendant had shot himself in the head.

The footage showed Mr Wischhusen at the top of the stairs pointing his hand gun directly down at the officers.

Jurors were shown a picture of Reed Wischhusen in a police-style uniform - he was not a police officer

The two firearms officers were known only as P3 and L4 in court.

Officer L4, who had remained downstairs, told the jury: "After a short while I heard a loud bang, a loud noise, it sounded like a gunshot or an explosion.

"P3 immediately ran back downstairs with the words of 'withdraw'.

"It was really quick, and I was concerned I didn't know where Reed was.

"I shouted for him to come to the top of the stairs. After a short amount of time - it was so quick - he came to the top of the stairs.

"He had a handgun and pointed it directly at me."

'I thought I was going to die'

Pausing and sounding emotional, the officer continued: "I thought I was going to die. I can recall saying things like, 'Drop the gun, put the gun down, armed police'."

"I started to move away, and I fired two shots.

"It happened so quickly. I fired a further shot and then he dropped to the ground."

A neighbourhood officer, known as N8, said he felt "extremely vulnerable" after hearing the first shot because he was only carrying incapacitant spray.

Asked how he felt, he told the jury: "It was a bit surreal to be honest. We expect risk in our job, and we obviously took precautions by having armed officers with us.

"I stepped into the house and could see that they were restraining him, and he had been clearly shot.

"He was screaming and shouting, and I could see the wound to his chest."

Police searched the defendants house and found an "armoury" of home-made weapons

'I want to die'

N8 said the two armed officers needed to remove the defendant's jacket to assess his injuries and when they released his handcuffs he tried to grab a converted Turkish pistol with his right arm.

The officer said Mr Wischhusen was shouting repeatedly: "I want to die."

The jury has previously been told Mr Wischhusen was fascinated with mass shootings and infamous killers such as Dunblane gunman Thomas Hamilton and Raoul Moat.

It is alleged he had drawn up plans to carry out a "hitman-style attack" on his former school in what he dubbed "revenge" but he claims this was "fantasy".

Jurors heard phase one of Mr Wischhusen's alleged revenge plan was to kill 10 people using a converted pistol with a silencer while wearing disguised clothing and a wig.

Mr Wischhusen denies charges of having an explosive substance with intent to endanger life, having an explosive substance, possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing ammunition with intent to endanger life and possessing a prohibited firearm without a certificate.

The trial continues.