Family 'wanted to help' siege man

Kevin Quirk's mother had appealed to him to end the siege

The family of a man who is thought to have killed himself during an armed siege say they should have had the chance to persuade him to come out.

Kevin Quirk, 49, was found by police officers in a flat in Overend Road, Gleadless, on Tuesday evening.

He had barricaded himself in with his two children 48 hours earlier and shot at police.

Mr Quirk's mother Joan said she might have persuaded her son to give himself up but police refused.

The incident is being reviewed by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

The IPCC said it had found "no evidence of criminal or misconduct matters involving any police officers", but wanted to determine whether "any lessons can be learned".

Officer hit

Mrs Quirk told BBC News: "I said 'he won't come out, let us talk to him'. His brother [was] seven hours waiting, they wouldn't let him, his nephew, sisters, nieces, were all there waiting to talk to him. We had to stay two streets away."

She added: "Why did they think that his family didn't count to him, that we couldn't get through to him?"

Mr Quirk's brother Jim said: "Why did they not use the people who could have actually helped the situation? It all got totally out of hand."

Kevin Quirk's two children were allowed to leave the flat after 24 hours

South Yorkshire Police have declined to comment on the family's complaints.

The IPCC said a gun was shot at officers and one was hit but not injured.

A shotgun was found next to Mr Quirk's body, in a third-floor bedroom of the flat. A further four guns were also recovered from the property.

Nicholas Long, IPCC commissioner for Yorkshire, said: "It is a matter of sadness and regret that the man should have been found dead when police entered the property and my sympathies go to his family and friends.

"Our initial assessment has found no evidence of criminal or miscounduct matters involving any police officers, but I believe it appropriate for the IPCC to independently review South Yorkshire Police's handling of the incident to determine whether any lessions can be learned and shared, including examples of good practice."