Harrowing moment Brit shot dead by police in hail of bullets

THIS is the harrowing moment a British man is shot dead in a hail of bullets after brandishing a fake gun outside an Amsterdam bank.

Cops say Michael "Mickey" Fudge, 31, was shot by police outside a branch of the Nederlandsche Bank on Wednesday night.

Horrifying footage filmed by a passer-by shows Fudge running down the street and falling to the ground in a hail of bullets.

As many as 25 gunshots are heard being unleashed inside just 30 seconds.

Dutch cops said Fudge - who has dual Dutch and British nationality - was carrying a fake gun.

Fudge was known to authorities for minor offences such as vandalism and anti-social behaviour but is claimed Fudge had been suffering psychiatric problems.

The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, armed guards at the bank, gave first aid but Fudge died at the scene.

A cyclist was hit by a police bullet in his leg and was treated in the hospital to his wounds.

Fudge's dad Anthony Fudge died last year aged 53 in Amsterdam.

His mum Tanja Samojlenko told local media: "He had wanted euthanasia, but when he did not, he opted for 'suicide by cop'.

"'This world is not for me', he said to me on Wednesday.

"He had had anxiety disorders and severe depression since childhood. Child psychologists, and from the age of ten, five psychiatrists have not been able to help him.

"He once suggested to me: 'If I go out, I'll be with De Nederlandsche Bank shooting by the Marechaussee'."

FUDGE WAS 'CONFUSED'
The mother said she saw her son's shoes in a photo of the victim following the shooting.

She said: "I called the police [and said]: 'That's my child'. I made statements for hours, that he is not a terrorist or something, and not a bank robber.

"I think it's very bad for the cops how this went, but it's not that he wanted a heroic end, Mickey was ill and it did not work anymore."

Friends described his recent behaviour as confused, with one person claiming Fudge was thinking about committing suicide to force a police officer to shoot at him.

The Amsterdam Police are currently investigating Fudge's mental state before the shooting and whether or not he had any psychiatric condition.
Cops said they are not sure yet if Fudge chose the central bank just because it is heavily guarded or if he might have had other motives.

Police spokeswoman Souad Boumedien said: "We got the report that a man was threatening people with a firearm."

She continued: "Colleagues who arrived at the scene encountered the suspect with a firearm, he walked in the direction of them and the colleagues felt it was required to open fire.

"Right now we don't have any signals that the location has anything to do with it, but we are taking every scenario into account."

As customary with the use of police firearms, an official investigation by the Dutch federal criminal police was started into whether the police violence was warranted.