Russia's "Rambo" Dies After Shoot-out With Police

[tiagosilva29]

Russia's 'Rambo' recluse dies after shoot-out with police

A heavily armed recluse nicknamed Russia's Rambo of the Forest has been gunned down in a shoot-out with police.

Alexander Bichkov, had lived a semi-feral existence in the woods for 20 years, terrorising locals and the police if they ventured near him.

A giant at 6ft 7in (~2 meters) with a wild straggly beard, the man lived in an old shack and self-made camps, hunted animals for food and only ventured out of the forest in summer when he wouldn't leave footprints leading back to where he lived.

Russian police said he descended from a family of criminals who were exiled by Stalin to the Kostroma region 450 miles east of Moscow, in the 1940s.

But now it is known the former forestry worker had fled into the dense Kologriv woods near his village, which were designated as a nature reserve a few years ago.

Terrified local police refused to go into the woods to hunt him down ever since he captured a local commander while out hunting and held him at gunpoint for hours before freeing him and then disappearing into the trees.

Even after he burned down 30 holiday homes in the area belonging to rich Muscovites, police refused to pursue the man they dubbed "Rambo", after the popular action-film hero played by Sylvester Stallone, who was skilled in weaponry and survival.

They did not know - until killing him on March 14 - his true identity, which was obtained from documents they found and through checks with his family.

He was finally shot after the head of the Department of Natural Reserves in Moscow, angered by the inaction of local police, ordered a surveillance operation on him.

After finding out where he lived, six specialist policemen - including Afghan war veterans - from outside the local police and four armed Park rangers went into the forest on snowmobiles to hunt him down and try to arrest him.

(...)

Not going to post all the article, but you can pretty much that the story doesn't like end right now, and in a smooth way.

I declare this guy the Final Boss of The Internet for today.

[Nightwind Hawk]

Hmm, interesting... if he was tormenting locals AND police for so long, you think they would have easily been able to do something? Send in a team of cops? Military officers?

[Coldgunner]

did they really need to kill him?

[Ji@nBing]

Obviously not Rambo. Rambo would never be killed. Even by 20 guys shooting at him point blank with machine guns :p

[The_Fox]

legend

[Brodel]

did they really need to kill him?

If you read the rest of the article, they probably did.

But the hermit, who carried two shotguns and a home-made pistol, ambushed them and wounded two.

He then set alight a swathe of forest as a diversion, tracked behind the men and was apparently preparing to start firing on them again.

But a police sniper managed to shoot him in the head, killing him instantly.

[Pupik]

Obviously not Rambo. Rambo would never be killed. Even by 20 guys shooting at him point blank with machine guns :p

That's Chuck Norris you're talking about and not Rambo ;)

[tiagosilva29]

Hmm, interesting... if he was tormenting locals AND police for so long, you think they would have easily been able to do something? Send in a team of cops? Military officers?

I'm a bit of a fan of the lone experienced sniper approach. It could have worked better than sending a pack of guys into the woods.

But then you wouldn't have the final boss fight:

One of the policemen, Andrei Potemkin, said: "He ambushed us and I told him to surrender and that we wouldn't hurt him.

"He yelled 'I've nothing to lose!' and opened fire.

"He hit two of the others and fired at me. My bullet-proof vest saved my life. He then set his place on fire, and everything was covered with smoke.

"He's a real professional. While we were helping the wounded, he made a circle around us, hiding in the smoke, and cut us off.

"It was pure chance the sniper suddenly saw his figure in the trees and pulled the trigger. He shot him right in the head and he died in a flash."

That's why snipers are superior.

[spacer]

did they really need to kill him?

Yes, they did.

[webeagle12]

did they really need to kill him?

sure, less money to spend on court and jail.