UK police say they have found fugitive wanted for murder and are negotiating with him

UK police negotiate with murder suspect

LONDON — British police said Friday they were negotiating with a murder suspect they had found after searching for him for a week.

Raoul Thomas Moat, 37, has been the target of the manhunt in northern England since Saturday. The fugitive is wanted for allegedly wounding his ex-girlfriend, Samantha Stobbart, killing her new boyfriend and shooting a police officer.

A police statement late Friday said a man who fits Moat’s description was found near a river in the village of Rothbury.

Witnesses told the BBC that Moat was seen lying face down on the ground and holding a gun to his neck as police surrounded him from a distance and negotiators talked with him.

Police had been on high alert all week, with dozens of armed officers searching the area and telling local residents to remain indoors.

Rothbury is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of the city of Newcastle.