Armed police have captured the dramatic moment they arrested a dangerous gunman in Wolverhampton who shot a man at point-blank range and meticulously tracked his victim using GPS devices.
The Dramatic Arrest
Bodycam footage released by West Midlands Police shows the tense operation to apprehend Leon Haughton, aged 34, as he drove through Wolverhampton streets. Officers tracked the grey Vauxhall Astra before tactical vehicles boxed him in on a side street.
Multiple marked and unmarked police cars surrounded the vehicle while armed officers emerged shouting 'armed police' commands. One officer yelled: "Show your hands, now. Hands! Get your hands where I can see them." Another bellowed: "Do not make any sign of movement. You listen to me!"
The footage shows Haughton in the driver's seat with his hands raised before he carefully exited the vehicle across the passenger side and stood in the road with his arms raised in surrender.
The Violent Attack
Eight days prior to his arrest, on April 6 at approximately 1:20am, Haughton had committed a brutal shooting in a Dudley car park. CCTV evidence showed him running from the scene on foot before driving away in his car.
The victim, a man in his twenties, managed to transport himself to hospital around 25 minutes after the attack. Police later discovered that Haughton had been systematically tracking his victim, having attached cable-tied GPS trackers to the underside of the man's car.
When officers searched Haughton's vehicle following his arrest on April 14 on Great Hampton Street, they made a chilling discovery in the boot: a viable shortened shotgun and eleven cartridges.
Justice Served
Haughton appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on October 10 where a jury found him guilty of attempted murder. The defendant, from Wolverhampton, had previously pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and possessing a prohibited firearm.
Last week, the court handed down a substantial 32-year prison sentence for his crimes.
Detective Inspector Francis Nock from the major crime team stated: "This was a targeted, pre-planned attack by Haughton and it's only down to sheer luck the victim wasn't killed."
He added: "We analysed a large amount of CCTV footage as well as mobile data and were able to unearth just how much research Haughton had done into his victim. I hope this sentence sends a message to others thinking they can get away with using guns in our community."
The investigation revealed the extensive planning Haughton had undertaken, with police tracing his movements both before and after the violent attack through meticulous evidence gathering.
