DAVID Rathband was permanently blinded in 2010 when he was shot in the face during Raoul Moat's shooting spree.
Here, we look at what we know about him, and what happened to him after the attack.
Who was PC David Rathband?
PC David Rathband was a cop blinded by ex-prisoner Raoul Moat, who went on a shooting spree in July 2010.
On July 3 2010, Moat used a sawn-off shotgun to shoot his ex girlfriend Samantha Stobbart, 22, kill her new partner Chris Brown, 29, and shoot PC Rathband in the face.
The next day, he shot David Rathband in the face while he was sitting in his patrol car near East Denton.
David later said about the attack: “I looked into his eyes and saw nothing — no emotion. Then I felt the pain full-on in my face.
“I knew my right eye socket had just exploded and my eye had gone.”
Just 12 minutes earlier Moat had phoned 999 to “declare war” on the police.
After going on the run for seven days, he was cornered in Rothbury,
Northumberland. He killed himself after a stand-off with police.
What happened to him?
PC Rathband revealed he had split from his wife Kath after she discovered he was having an affair with a 7/7 London bombing survivor Lisa French.
PC David Rathband tweeted: "Sad to announce Mrs R has called time on our marriage separation permanent."
He died two days after returning home to Blyth following a month-long trip to see his twin brother Darren in Australia.
What did he say about the shooting?
Rathband had a son and daughter and admitted in July 2011 that he was having suicidal thoughts.
He said in an interview: “I’m not a robot, I have been badly affected by what’s happened.
“I have to wait and see but as long as I have the conviction to carry on doing the best by my family then I don’t think I can go far wrong.”
When did PC David Rathband die?
David Rathband died in Blyth on February 29, 2012, after struggling to cope with his life changing injuries.
A coroner ruled that his death was a suicide.
As well as his injuries, his marriage also fell apart as a result of the brutal attack.
