"Something just got too much. He [Reeve] had asked for help before – this guy lived below him and they clashed.
"The way I look at it there was just no way of stopping him. He was very pleasant to speak to but he had certain views on how the world should be – he has certain standards."
A police spokesman said: "We are urging members of the public to take great care and not to approach Peter Reeve who is believed to be armed.
“Armed officers are searching for the 64-year-old man who is believed to have shot dead the serving police officer and injured another man following a shooting off Redbridge Road.
"Reeve is described as white, around 5ft 10in tall with short greyish hair. He was wearing jeans and possibly glasses. He comes from the Clacton area and should not be approached.
"Residents are being urged to remain indoors while armed officers locate the gunman. Anyone who knows where Reeve is or has information about him or where he might be should contact police on 999."
Eyewitnesses said the man being chased had shouted “help, help” after being shot in the leg, and seconds later PC Dibell was felled by a single shot.
Neighbours reported that Reeves, said to be a loner but a “nice chap” and a “very smart man” known for helping other elderly neighbours, and the pair he was pursuing had been locked in a long-running feud over noise and parking-related issues.
One man described seeing the gunman chase two people into the street from a block of flats in Fairlop Close, Clacton-on-Sea, just before 3.40pm.
He said: “I saw the guy running out chasing two people out of the building into the street.
“A girl and a guy in their 30s ran out and I could see this man firing potshots at them.
“The woman was screaming and as she ran off he took aim at the guy.
“He fired about three shots and one caught the man and he went down. He was shouting ‘help, help’ to the off-duty policeman.
“Next thing I knew a shot was fired and the policeman was on the floor.
“I think he was shot in the head but it all happened so quickly.
“He was off-duty and in jeans at the time – I think it was just a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
“Next thing we knew the gunman jumped in a car and drove off into the streets.”
Terrible news of the fatal shooting of pc ian dibell today in clacton - my thoughts are with his family and colleagues at @EssexPoliceUK
— David Hanson (@DavidHansonMP) July 9, 2012
PC Dibell is understood to be divorced and lives with his girlfriend Louise Lilley, a Police Community Support Officer for Essex Police since 2009.
On the force's website Miss Lilley says: "I became a PCSO to be more involved in my community, to try and understand the needs of the local residents, young and old, and by being on patrol as much as possible to make residents feel reassured."
A red blanket covered the officer’s body as it lay in a front garden in Redbridge Road, a few doors down from his own home.
More than 100 police officers from Essex and neighbouring forces joined the hunt for Reeve, as people in Clacton were told to stay in their homes and lock their doors.
The man who was injured by the gunman suffered leg injuries and remains in hospital, where his injuries were not said to be life-threatening.
It is understood he and the woman who were being chased knew Reeve and gave his name to police.
Another witness, who was in a nearby shop at the time of the shooting, told The Daily Telegraph: "There were two or three gunshots. I thought it was a car backfiring at first.
"A woman came running into the shop hysterical and said 'someone's been shot, someone's been shot' and phoned the police. The man was lying on the grass.
"A man in his 50s tried to help him. He was holding his hand on where the blood was from where he got shot. I think it was his chest.
"People heard the commotion and someone said they'd heard a shout before the shots, but couldn't hear what was being said.
"[Reeve] didn't run but drove off straight away.”
He said there were sniffer dogs and helicopters in the area helping with the search for the killer.
Adrienne Szabo, 36, a dental nurse in nearby practice Noble Dental Care, said: "We're due to be here until 8 o'clock and have locked the door to make sure we stay safe.
"There are four of us here - myself, the dentist, a student dental nurse and the patient - so we'll have to make a decision later about what to do.
"I'm checking the internet to see what is happening. The whole thing is frightening."
A woman answering the phone at nearby Willow Tree Nursery and Children's Centre, which cares for children aged three months to 12 years, said: "We've just made sure we're secure, which we are anyway.
"The nursery is about to close anyway, the parents are able to get in and out to collect their children."
Jim Barker-McCardle, the force’s Chief Constable paid tribute to PC Dibell as "an experienced and professional” officer who "deliberately intervened in what he knew was an extremely deadly situation".
He said: “Policing is a family and we are all hurting. This dreadful event reminds us all that policing is a mission that ultimately some die for.
"Essex Police is a very close knit family and this officer was a highly-regarded and much-loved colleague. At moments like this the entire force grieves."
"We will not rest until his killer is found."
Police officers from all over Britain have taken to social networking sites to pay tribute to the “hero” PC.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Cop killer manhunt: Wanted Peter Reeve, 64, still on run after cold-blooded killing of brave off-duty officer - Daily Mirror
An off-duty policeman who paid with his life after intervening in a "deadly situation" was praised tonight for his bravery.
PC Ian Dibell was killed after attending an address in Clacton, Essex, yesterday afternoon.
He was shot dead by a gunman who also injured a member of the public.
As the sequence of events began to emerge, Essex Police Chief Constable Jim Barker-McCardle told a press conference at the force's Chelmsford headquarters that Pc Dibell was a "brave, respected and experienced neighbourhood officer".
Mr Barker-McCardle said the officer had "deliberately intervened in what he knew was an extremely deadly situation", adding: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of our brave, fallen colleague."
Police have named the alleged gunman as Peter Reeve, described as white, aged 64, about 5ft 10in with short greyish hair and issued a photograph of him.
A spokesman added: "He was wearing jeans and possibly with glasses. He comes from the Clacton area."
Police launched the manhunt after Pc Dibell, 41, was shot in Redbridge Road, Clacton, at 3.30pm today.
Mr Barker-McCardle said armed response units were deployed to begin a search for the suspect.
Local officers have been deployed to protect the public and maintain and strong presence.
The chief constable said: "Policing is a family and we are all hurting.
"This dreadful event reminds us all that policing is a mission that ultimately some die for.
"We will not rest until his killer is found."
Det Supt Liam Osborne told the press conference at Essex Police headquarters in Chelmsford that the gunman's vehicle has been found at a nearby junction.
"Any sightings should be reported. He is believed to be armed and should not be approached by the public, who should dial 999."
He added that anyone who knows Reeve's location should come forward, as should anyone who witnessed the incident.
"I urge Peter Reeve to get in contact with us. We need to bring this matter to a safe conclusion."
Mr Barker-Cardle said: "This officer is a highly regarded and much loved colleague who has been a important part of Essex Police for 10 years."
He added members of Pc Dibell's family were also in the police force.
"The entire force grieves but we are aware the job is to bring this man to justice and make sure we do everything we can to look after most important people, the family and friends of our fallen colleague."
He said the manhunt, in connection with Kent Police, would continue overnight.
"We will not rest until we have Peter Reeve in custody, the investigation will continue round the clock," he said.
The chief constable said reports the injured man was a PCSO were incorrect.
Asked about the situation Pc Dibell had intervened in, he said: "I'm not in a position to be drawn on the fine details but all the early indications are he deliberately intervened in what I strongly believe he knew was an extremely deadly situation."
Source: www.mirror.co.uk
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