Reed Wischhusen said he tried to 'provoke' police into killing him

Jurors were shown a picture of Reed Wischhusen in a police-style uniform

A man said he was trying to provoke police into killing him when he ran at them with a pistol, a court has heard.

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

Police were searching Mr Wischhusen's home in November 2022, when he confronted them with a pistol.

Two armed officers warned him to put it down, but as he continued to come towards them, he was shot three times.

Minutes before he had rushed to the bathroom of his home grabbed a concealed handgun and shot himself in the head.

He then ran down the stairs to confront the Avon and Somerset officers with the firearm held aloft, the court heard.

Mr Wischhusen spent several months in hospital, and it was not until March that he was well enough to be interviewed by detectives.

A police search found an "armoury" of home-made weapons

In a prepared statement, Mr Wischhusen said: "I make this statement knowing it may be given in evidence. This was a suicide attempt. I've always had suicidal thoughts.

"When in the bathroom I shot myself in the head, trying to kill myself. I ran at the officers hoping they would kill me. I have nothing further to say."

In further interviews the defendant confirmed he had thought about killing himself with a firearm "since he was small".

The jury has been told police found several weapons, as well as body armour and a deactivated hand grenade, when they searched the property Mr Wischhusen shared with his father.

Mr Wischhusen told detectives he had a "passion for firearms and weapons" and was a member of a gun club.

He had converted the firearm he used on the day of his arrest to fire live ammunition, which he had done to "get back" at the firearms licensing department that refused his shotgun application, he told police.

"He denied any intention to hurt anybody - police, members of the public and people from the past," prosecutor Jonathan Rees told the jury.

The jury has previously been told 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 a document he had called "Revenge".

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

Wischhusen told detectives: "With regard to the document in my computer called 'Revenge', it's a fantasy story.

"I accept it is not the most reasoned piece of thinking and includes me killing myself twice, but I have absolutely no intention of doing anything about it.

"I wrote it to amuse myself. I repeat I have never harmed anyone at any time in my life and have never wanted to harm anyone else."

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.

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