Dramatic Armed Police Raid Captures Shotgun Attacker
Armed police officers from West Midlands Police have been praised for their role in capturing a dangerous gunman, Leon Haughton, following a brutal attempted murder in Dudley. The 34-year-old was sentenced to 32 years in prison after being found guilty of a pre-meditated shotgun attack that a judge said came within millimetres of killing his victim.
A Pre-Planned and Brutal Assault
The court heard how Haughton meticulously planned the attack, which occurred in the early hours of 6 April. He had first placed a GPS tracker on his victim's car, using cable ties to secure it underneath the vehicle. Haughton then followed the man, a victim in his 20s, to a car park in Dudley. There, in a cold-blooded act, he shot the man at point-blank range with a sawn-off shotgun around 1am before fleeing the scene.
Miraculously, despite his severe injuries, the victim managed to transport himself to a local hospital, where he received life-saving treatment and survived the horrifying ordeal.
The Manhunt and Dramatic Arrest
Police immediately launched a significant investigation and manhunt. Their breakthrough came on 14 April, when officers spotted Haughton's car in Wolverhampton. The subsequent arrest was captured on dramatic bodycam footage, described as reminiscent of a scene from a tactical video game.
The footage shows armed police units swiftly surrounding the Vauxhall Astra that Haughton was driving. The gunman is seen calmly exiting the vehicle with his hands raised as multiple officers aim their weapons at him. A search of the car's boot revealed a loaded sawn-off shotgun along with 11 rounds of ammunition. Further ballistic tests later confirmed the same weapon had been used in a burglary back in 2023.
Sentencing and Community Impact
Following a trial last month at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Haughton was convicted of attempted murder. During the sentencing, Judge John Edwards delivered a powerful statement addressing the wider issue of gun crime. He stated, "There is a serious problem in the Black Country and Wolverhampton with gun crime. It is rising faster than elsewhere in the country at this time."
The judge emphasised the terror such crimes instil in communities and noted that it was only by a "mere millimetre" that Haughton's victim did not die. He described the attack as an "execution" and stated the need to make an example of the defendant due to the severe damage firearms inflict on social cohesion.
Despite Haughton's claims in court that the shooting was "out of character" and a letter of remorse he read via video link, the judge imposed the lengthy 32-year prison term. Detective Inspector Francis Nock from the West Midlands Police Major Crime Team concluded that the attack was "targeted and pre-planned," and that a thorough analysis of CCTV and mobile data uncovered the extensive research Haughton had conducted on his victim before the attack.
