Suspect dies after shootout in wealthy west London neighbourhood

By: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON - British authorities say a suspected gunman is dead after trading fire with police while holed up in a house in a wealthy west London neighbourhood.

Marksmen from Britain's Metropolitan police laid siege to the house in Markham Square in the affluent area of Chelsea for four hours after reports of a man firing shots in a house there shortly before 5 p.m. A police spokesman says armed police exchanged gunfire several times with the man, who later died.

There's no word on whether the man was shot dead by police officers.

The spokesman says an investigation is being opened by Britain's police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission.